The President Michel Martelly, accompanied, among others by, the First Lady, Mrs. Sophia Martelly, the Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe and U.S. Senator, Bill Nelson completed a three-day tour in the South, in order to monitor the status of various infrastructure projects. In Les Cayes, among others, the construction work of the hospital OFATMA (Office of Workers' Compensation, Sickness and Maternity Insurance), of the National School Charles Lassègue and a hundred houses in Larco who progressing rapidly.

The hospital in OFATMA, one of the largest projects currently underway in the city of Les Cayes, covers 1.29 hectares. The work, whose funding is provided by the Republic of Taiwan, will cost 3.4 million U.S. dollars.

The Head of State visited Fonfrède Fundamental School, built by the U.S. Army as well as the health center of the town, the market of Vernet and the Emergency Operations Center Departmental of South andalso went to the base of the Haitian coast guard and to the construction site of multi-sports center of the city of Les Cayes.

At the Institute of Hotel and Tourism Training of South in the town of Bergeaud, where he ended his tour, the Head of State has exalted the courage of Haitian women and promised to continue to mentor them through the Ministry for Status of Women and Women's Rights. During this meeting with women leaders of organizations in the South, the President of the Republic listened carefully their complaints and promised to work to strengthen the institutions working with them.

Senator Bill Nelson, a friend of Haiti and advocate of the interests of Haitians living in the United States, took advantage of this tour to publicly acknowledge the efforts of President Martelly to change the image of Haiti. "I saw hope in the face of population during this visit sites with him in the South [...] Haiti is open for business," promising that he would encourage Americans to come to Haiti.

SL/ HaitiLibre