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South American Leaders Condemn US Role in Haiti

South American Leaders Condemn US Role in Haiti
folder_openUnited States access_time14 years ago
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Local Editor, 21-1-2010

The US sends more 40 thousand more troops to the quake-hit country amid growing concerns of Latin American leaders over such military presence.

This military presence has raised the ire the presidents of Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela condemning the US role.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says that the US is using the devastating quake that hit Haiti last week to occupy the Caribbean nation.

"The United States government is using a humanitarian tragedy to militarily occupy Haiti. I read somewhere that they even occupied the government palace," Chavez said on Wednesday.

He added that the United States tried to do something similar with Venezuela in 1999, after heavy rain caused mudslides that buried whole villages in the coast of the state of Vargas.

As for Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said Haiti seeks "humanitarian aid, not troops."

Evo Morales, the Bolivian leader said that he would seek UN condemnation of the "US military occupation."

Meanwhile in Europe, France spoke out against the US role, demanding the United Nations to investigate and clarify the US military presence in Haiti.
A 7.0-magnitude quake struck Haiti last week, killing at least 75,000 people and perhaps as many as 200,000. Almost 250,000 people were injured and around 1.5 million people are without shelter.

In the past, Washington has been accused of interfering in Haitian internal affairs on many occasions. The US military played a role in the departure of the former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide before his second term was over in early 2004.


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