Haiti wrapped up an international summ
it on Friday that brought together six presidents from the region who all signed an agreement that called for an end to the US embargo against Cuba and to help the region better prepare for disasters.
Host President Michel Martelly questioned the effectiveness of the 50-year-plus embargo in closing remarks to reporters and said the leaders at the conference agreed to “suggest a new approach” that meant removing the embargo.
The Association of Caribbean States began on Tuesday with speeches, cocktail receptions and a cultural expo but the high-level delegations didn’t arrive in Haiti until Thursday.
At least 11 heads-of-state confirmed their attendance, according to the Haitian government, but only six of them showed up.
President Michel Martelly noted the cancellations at a news conference Friday evening, saying that some of the other presidents just had other priorities.
“They didn’t come with their presence but we know they were here with us,” Martelly told reporters.
Still, the relatively large gathering of leaders gave Martelly and Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe the opportunity to talk about the country’s advances following the powerful 2010 earthquake that left the capital and other cities to the south in ruins.
“It shows the progress that’s been done, and that we’re able to host this type of an event, with the logistics behind it,” Lamothe said.
In a debut of sorts, Lamothe showed up at an official dinner Thursday night with his girlfriend of several months, Petra Nemcova, the Czech supermodel and philanthropist who also serves as an ambassador at large for Haiti.
The presidents who visited came from Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Guatemala, Honduras and the neighboring Dominican Republic. Dominican President Danilo Medina announced that his government would grant temporary status to Haitians living without legal status if Haiti can provide identification for all its citizens, the National Palace said in a statement.
Martelly in return promised better control at the border.
