Latin American
Countries Show Solidarity With Haiti
ByAlejandra del Palacio
Latin American countries on Wednesday
expressed solidarity and assured
humanitarian assistance for Haiti following
Tuesday's magnitude-7.0 earthquake that
devastated much of its capital city,
Port-au-Prince.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da
Silva said: "I express my deep sorrow and my
full solidarity to the Haitian people."
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet showed
her country's solidarity and willingness to
support "at the difficult hours that country
is living."
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said: "We
express our sorrow to the glorified Haitian
people."
Costa Rican President Oscar Arias was
dismayed at the aftermath of Tuesday's
earthquake, the strongest ever recorded in
the Caribbean island country in more than
200 years.
Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa regretted
the tragedy while expressing his country's
solidarity with the Haitian people.
Cuban Leader Raul Castro on Wednesday said
that it was with deep sorrow and concern
that his country learned of the Haiti
earthquake.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon also
expressed his country's solidarity with the
Haitian people and government. The
governments of Bolivia, Colombia and Uruguay
have also done the same.
As their messages of solidarity and concern
came in, emergency flights taking off from
these Latin American countries started to
land in Port-au-Prince with drinking water,
food, rescuers and doctors with medicine.
Counties elsewhere are also rushing to the
rescue with rescuers from China en route to
Haiti.
The International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies on Wednesday
estimated that Haiti needs at least 10
million U.S. dollars to assist the victims
of the earthquake.
The amount will be used to assist some 5,000
quake-affected families and to support aid
operations centered on pitching temporary
shelters, repairing water supply facilities
and guaranteeing medical assistance.
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