Unasur donates 100 million dollars to Haiti reconstruction
(PORT AU PRINCE) - The Union of South American Nations (Unasur), a regional grouping, on Tuesday pledged 100 million dollars in money to assist reconstruction efforts in Haiti after January's devastating earthquake.
Ecuador's President Rafael Correa announced the donation during an official visit to Haiti, and said Unasur would also establish a political and technical secretariat in the country to assist with reconstruction plans.
"The 100 million dollars will be paid before the end of the year and we are going to deliver 200 million dollars in the longer term in the framework of reconstruction projects in Haiti," Correa told a press conference with his Haitian counterpart Rene Preval.
Correa, who currently holds Unasur's rotating presidency, arrived in Port-au-Prince on Monday night and travelled by helicopter to the country's north to survey projects being financed by the group and implemented by troops from the organization's member states.
"We do not want to exercise humanitarian imperialism in Haiti," he said.
"We want to begin a new form of South-South cooperation, respecting the sovereignty of the Haitian people, and with the belief that the real development actors in Haiti are the Haitian people."
Meanwhile Tuesday, a group of parliamentarians from the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) visited Haiti to evaluate reconstruction progress.
Members of the European delegation said the EU had donated close to 1.6 billion dollars to Haiti in the wake of the January 12 quake, which killed at least 250,00 people and left more than a million homeless.
"Europe reacted in an extremely quick and positive fashion to the tragedy that struck the Haitian people," said French EU parliamentarian Michele Rivasi.
She said EU money would go towards rebuilding destroyed infrastructure, but also to propping up the weak state.
"Our aid has also gone to budgetary support, it has allowed them to pay bureaucrats and the police," she said. "It is strengthening democracy."
She also stressed that Haitians would be leading the rebuilding efforts.
"If you want to do something lasting, it is the Haitians who must have control over the type of society they want for their future."
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