Mexico, Haiti to reinforce ties

Monday, 13 January 2014 00:10
THE NEWS


MEXICO CITY – Four years after a magnitude-7.2 earthquake devastated Haiti, Mexico’s ambassador to the Caribbean nation said on Sunday that the time has come for the relationship between the two countries to pass from one of aid to one of partnership between equals.

According to Ambassador Guy Lamothe, who was a survivor of the earthquake himself, the emergency situation has been practically overcome, as only 300,000 internally displaced people remain in tent camps — down from 1.5 million in 2010 — and it’s expected that the remaining displaced people will soon be able to find permanent homes.

Lamothe said that the $27 million in aid that Mexico provided for the reconstruction of Haiti has been crucial in rebuilding road infrastructure, public markets, schools and hospitals in the wake of the earthquake.

He went on to say that the 300 scholarships that the Mexican government provided to allow gifted Haitian students to study in Mexico have also borne fruit, with college graduates returning home to apply their knowledge to reconstruction efforts. Mexico has not become a destination for Haitian immigrants, he added, saying that the majority of refugees have returned home once it has become economically feasible for them.

The earthquake, Lamothe said, has become a point of reflection for the current administration in Haiti to launch a recovery and development plan built around social, economic, territorial and institutional reorganization, with the goal of making Haiti a developing country by 2033.

He said that the modernization of Haiti’s institutions will allow the country to improve its relationship with Mexico and act as a partner and not an aid recipient, adding that Mexico has sent many important signs of support to Haiti, such as President Enrique Peña Nieto’s visit last April.

Since 2011, Haiti has received $690 million in direct foreign investment in sectors like agriculture, energy, manufacturing, infrastructure and tourism, Lamothe said, adding that the country boasts many opportunities for Mexican investors, particularly in textile manufacturing and food production.