Brazil's military operations in Haiti officially over

“At midnight on September 1, we end operations officially. This means that, as of September 2, no Brazilian soldiers will go to the streets armed to patrol or carry out any operation,” said General Ajax Porto Pinheiro, commander of the Brazilian mission in Haiti, during an interview with Verdo Oliva radio station, of the Brazilian Army.

A ceremony in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, will mark the end of the activities of the Brazilian Armed Forces who went to the country 13 years ago.

Since 2004, when chosen to spearhead the military branch of the stabilization mission formed by troops from 16 countries, Brazil sent to Haiti some 37.5 thousand agents, most of them from the army.

The event will be attended by Brazilian Defense Minister Raul Jungmann, who flew to Haiti along with an entourage formed by both military and civil agents.

Under the disengagement program, 85% of the 981 Brazilian military agents in the country must be brought back to Brazil by September 14. The remaining 152 soldiers and officials will be charged with protecting Brazilian facilities and take care of last administrative measures required for the repatriation of the Brazilian equipment and materials until October 15, when they are expected to leave the country regarded as the most impoverished in the Americas.

Since 2004, when chosen to spearhead the military branch of the stabilization mission formed by troops from 16 countries, Brazil sent to Haiti some 37.5 thousand agents, most of them from the army—30,359 men and women altogether. The Navy deployed 6,299 agents, and the Air Forces 350. Twenty-five Brazilians died in action, including two generals.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira