After a two-day visit of the U.S. Congressional delegation, https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2585-haiti-politic-an-us-congressional-delegation-in-haiti-tuesday.html Patrick Leahy, Democratic Senator of Vermont declared, after visiting in company of Peter Welch, member of the House of Representatives, devastated areas around the capital Port-au-Prince "I am far more hopeful after this trip here than I was before I came down."

Leahy and Welch spent the day of yesterday to visit a medical center for disabled youth, a site of removal of rubble and met with U.S. aid workers and the Haitian authorities, including Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive. "There's an immense amount of suffering that you see, but what you also see is enormous amount of hope" declared Peter Welch. "People are going about their business. They're cleaning up the rubble, they do set up medical care facilities. They do get their kids to school."

Senator Leahy estimated that 25% of the 1 billion dollars pledged by the United States have been spent in the recovery effort of the country, ensuring that U.S. officials will ensure that the disbursement of the remaining money will be well used.

Leahy and Welch said they were encouraged that the presidential election held in the country last weekend appeared to have been conducted properly and that the anticipated winner appears to be someone who will have the confidence of the Haitian people. "They [the Haitian people] are going to have to have a government that cares as much about the people as it does about itself [...] For decades, that has not been the case in Haiti" affirmed Senator Leahy.

HL/ HaitiLibre