The plight of Haitians in Haiti

[NewsWhore]

Former Dominican Republic trade negotiator, former ambassador in Canada and current ambassador in Colombia, Julio Ortega Tous proposed the creation of a Development Fund for Haiti with 5% of the foreign debt resources paid by Latin American countries. He said the fund could be managed by the UNDP and the IDB, together with the Haitian government. He said that while there has been talk of donations to Haiti, the money has not been disbursed. Speaking at a Listin Diario breakfast meeting, Ortega said that Haiti had started out as one of the most prosperous countries in the Western Hemisphere. He commented that the situation in Haiti is the result of the colonial struggles between France and Spain, and Haiti's own independence in 1804. He said that in 2002 the Haitian government demanded that France return the resources it had made Haiti pay after its independence, leaving it in a state of bankruptcy. He said that the Haitian state was founded on ruins from which it has never been able to recover, and the present situation is the fruit of the dramatic legacy of the slave wars that destroyed the land's productive and security structures. He told Listin Diario that the DR does not have the resources to carry Haiti's social burden. He commented that 56% of Haiti's population lives on less than a US$1 a day, which means that 80% are living in extreme poverty, with the highest levels of illiteracy. He called for more than a Plan Marshall for Haiti. He said that in addition to a massive reforestation program, a major plan for distribution of propane gas to the population would be needed.

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