Brazil remembers Haiti earthquake victims

The Ministry of Foreign Relations released on Sunday (Jan 11) a note reiterating the grief and solidarity felt by the government and Brazilian people towards the population of Haiti five years after the earthquake which devastated the Caribbean country in 2010. Thousands of people died as a result of the natural disaster, among whom 18 Brazilians on a humanitarian mission in  Port-au-Prince.

In the statement, the Brazilian government urges the Haitian people to unite through their democratic institutions for the consolidation of a democratic and prosperous nation in this moment of remembrance and new beginnings. “This is the union which will make facing so many ongoing challenges possible, so that the country is able to ensure the safety and stability of its citizens as well as a favorable environment for the economic activities, investments and international cooperation, generating employment, opportunities and a vision of the future for all.”

The Brazilian government hopes that Haitian political leaders and the nation's citizenship, in full observance of the rules of democracy and the Constitution, are able to quickly find the formula for the prompt restoration of the efforts in behalf of the nation, the text adds.

As part of its constant demonstration of solidarity and its commitment to the cause of a democratic and stable Haiti—the message reads—the Brazilian government offers its assistance in whatever lies within its reach, according to the sovereign will of the people and the deliberation of partner countries engaged in the same enterprise.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira