Thursday, 12 January 2017, de facto President Jocelerme Privert, accompanied by his wife Ginette, Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles, members of the Cabinet and other great officials of the State, commemorated the 7th anniversary of the devastating earthquake of 12 January 2010 that hit hard Haiti.

The Head of State laid a wreath of flowers in St-Christophe (Titanyen), on the site where are buried several thousand people killed by the earthquake.

After, at the National Palace, Jocelerme Privert stopped in front of the mausoleum built in homage to the civilian and police employees who were victims of the partial collapse of the Palace before attending an ecumenical ceremony organized at the Palace , in the presence of religious leaders, rpresentatives of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps, the Préesident of the Chamber of Deputies and other senior dignitaries.

In their respective messages, Pastor Sylvain Exantus (Protestant Federation of Haiti), Mgr. Zachee Duracin (Anglican Episcopal Church), Mambo Euvonie Georges Auguste (National Confederation of Vodouists) and Mgr Pierre André Dumas (Catholic Church) evoked the tragedies caused by the 2010 earthquake that has mourned tens of thousands of families in Haiti. They preached for unity and pleaded for collective awareness in order rebuild the country in all its physical, spiritual, economic and moral dimensions. They also called on everyone to celebrate life while taking the necessary steps to prevent and mitigate damage in the event of major new natural hazards.

In his speech for the occasion, Privert, said that the date of 12 January must remain engraved in our collective memory. He took the opportunity to offer of plaques of honor to representatives of the international community who have contributed and solidarized with the Haitian people in difficult times in its history, particularly during the passage of Hurricane Matthewlast October. This is, according to President Privert, "an act of gratitude and thanks of the Haitian people to the partners and friends of Haiti."

HL/ HaitiLibre