Havana University Holds Workshop on Haiti

HAVANA, Cuba - The Group on Caribbean Studies of the University of Havana held the workshop “Haiti, a year after”.

In view of the current situation in Haiti, a year after the earthquake of January 12, 2010, experts and cooperants met to offer their support and discuss the reality of this Caribbean nation.

The president of the Group, PhD. Digna Castañeda, talked about the importance of getting acquainted with the history of that country so as to understand its population.

Castañeda added that Haitians are still facing the aftermath of such a natural disaster and the cholera epidemics.

The politologist and professor from the International Relations Higher Institute (ISRI), PhD. Luis Suarez Salazar, offered an overview on Haiti’s geographic, political, economic and social panorama, and commented on the future of its population.

Suarez noted that, a year after the earthquake, 75 percent of the residents in Puerto Principe are still homeless, and the cholera epidemics is expected to affect some 400 000 people.

He added that almost half a million children still wander around the streets without being able to go back to school because more than 80 percent of the education sector is private and very expensive.

The rector of the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), Dr Juan Carrizo Estevez, highlighted the humane quality of the Haitian people.

He pointed out that more than 600 Haitian students graduated from ELAM, while there are other 400 still studying there.

The workshop was also attended by historian and member of UNEAC, PhD.

Gloria Leon Rojas, as well as by members of the Henry Reeve International Brigade, who shared experiences from their missions in Haiti. (acn)

Earthquake in Haiti: natural disaster that makes worse tragedy and poverty

The devastating earthquake that shook Haiti collapsed again to that impoverished nation in a tragedy even unknown today for the international community for the collapse of the systems of communications.

The broken into fragments news received in this capital are more and more alarming and refer the destruction of important part of the infrastructure of the capital of that country, the poorest in the hemisphere.

The first pictures published in the press of the Dominican Republic show part of the magnitude of the disaster, with images of numerous knocked down constructions, among them the emblematic National Palace, the government's headquarters.

Fuentes Haitian diplomats advanced that the president, René Preval, meets with life, still when they didn't offer bigger details on its situation.

The Haitipal televisore, of Puerto Príncipe, informed that also the ministries of Finances, of Work, of Communication and of Culture suffered serious damages.

The source pointed that the hospital of the residential area of Petion Villa, in the outsides of the capital, collapsed, but still lacks reports on damages to people.

United nations pointed out in an official statement that their facilities in Puerto Príncipe suffered serious damages and several of the employees are missing.

Still in the first hours of today lacks news on the death toll and wounded, but humanitarian sources suppose it is high.

In the Dominican Republic, the Seismological Institute of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo assured that the earthquake felt with force in several areas of this nation that shares the island The Spaniard with Haiti.

The director of the institution, Eugenio Polanco, affirmed that the earthquake is the strongest happened in the island after of 1946 which had an intensity of 8,1 grades in the scale of Richter.

The director of the Center of Operations of Emergency, general Juan Manuel Méndez, announced that the was adopted "Plan Lightning" that includes the mobilization of the armed forces, to help the population and to guarantee the security and the order.

According to the Geologic Institute of United States, the earthquake had an intensity of 7,0 grades in the scale of Ricther and happened to the 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC).

It epicentre was located to 15 kilometers to the Southwest of Puerto Príncipe, in the latitude 18,45 grades north, longitude 75,44 grades west, with a depth 10 kilometers, of agreement with that source.

The Institute informed of 12 later replics that varied from 5,9 to 4,5 grades in the scale of Richter.

Among so much, several countries of the region already announced the beginning of preparations for the shipment of help, among them Venezuela, Nicaragua, Argentina and United States.

Cuba and Haiti Sign Anti-drug Agreement

HAVANA, Cuba.The Governments of Cuba and Haiti signed a cooperation agreement on the fight on drug trafficking.

Haitian Foreign Minister Alrich Nicolas and María Esther Reus Gonzalez, Cuban Minister of justice, penned the document in the Havana-based Palco Hotel; the accord expands bilateral cooperation between the two sister Caribbean nations.

This agreement promotes bilateral collaboration in this field to efficiently fight the trafficking of psychotropic substances and other drugs.

The bilateral stipulates that relevant entities of both nations establish and keep communication channels, what improves the speed and safety of sensitive information exchange in the field.

The agreement will also contribute to develop cooperation systems in the treatment, rehabilitation of drug consumers and in the prevention of drug consumption; it will also favor the exchange of officers as part of training programs related to the fight against this scourge.


(Firman Cuba y Haití acuerdo contra tráfico de drogas

Haitian Foreign Minister Thanks Cuba for Solidarity

HAVANA, Cuba, March 3 (acn) The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Culture of Haiti, Alrich Nicolas, on Monday thanked the Cuban people and government for their solidarity with his country.

After a visit to the '26 de Julio' Museum at the former Moncada Barracks in eastern Santiago de Cuba province, the Haitian FM described the bilateral cooperation in the fields of education, public health and energy as diverse and dynamic.

Nicolas, who is in Cuba on a working visit heading a delegation from his country, added that both nations will also start cooperating to face natural disasters.

The visiting delegation includes the Minister of Sports, Youth and Civic Service, Evans Lescouflair; the Minister of the Interior and Territorial Collectivity, Paul Antoine Bien-Aime; and the Minister of Public Health and Population, Dr. Alex Larsen.

In Santiago de Cuba, the visitors met with almost 500 Haitian youths who are currently studying medicine at the Higher Institute of Medical Sciences in this eastern province.

They also visited the old part of the city, founded 494 years ago and where the influence of artistic expressions from the neighboring country can still be appreciated.

The Haitian delegation also paid homage to Cuban National Hero Jose Marti at the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery. There, they placed a floral wreath in the mausoleum where the mortal remains of the Cuban patriot and Latin American independence hero rest.

(Agradece Canciller de Haití solidaridad de Cuba)

Haitian Government Delegation in Cuba for Working Visit

HAVANA, Cuba , March 2 (acn) The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Culture of the Republic of Haiti , Alrich Nicolas, is headsing a delegation from his country that is in Havana for a working visit.

The visiting delegation includes the Minister of Sports, Youth and Civic Service, Evans Lescouflair; the Minister of the Interior and Territorial Communities, Paul Antoine Bien-Aime; and the Minister of Public Health and Population, Dr. Alex Larsen.

According to Granma news daily, the visitors will hold meetings with their respective Cuban counterparts and other Government and State leaders.

In addition, they will meet with Haitian students in Cuba and will visit places of historic and social interest in Havana and Santiago de Cuba .

(En Cuba Canciller haitiano en visita de trabajo)