Summary
In light of the January 2010 earthquake, Brazil’s decision to contribute immediate humanitarian assistance and long-term reconstruction in Haiti is not a new challenge. The mandate fits seamlessly into the existing foreign policy priorities of the Lula administration. Brazil has sent dozens of medical professionals as well as food, water and first aid supplies to Haiti, along with a donation of $18.8 million of which $5 million have already been delivered to the UN.
Brazil is determined to be a leader in the international reconstruction efforts in Haiti, aligning itself with other bilateral donors and multilateral agencies. The South American nation’s intentions to lead the efforts are clear, with the Brazilian foreign minister suggesting a proposed Marshall Plan for Haiti be reconsidered as a “Lula Plan”.
is a Brazilian-American professor of International Affairs at the Torcuato Di Tella University in Buenos Aires. She has taught at the Argentine Foreign Service Institute and the Latin American School of Social Sciences (FLACSO – Argentina) and served as a visiting professor at Stanford, the University of São Paulo and Harvard. She has worked as a consultant for the UN Development Program, Ford Foundation, Andean Development Corporation and the Foreign Ministries of Argentina and Colombia.
Hirst co-coordinates the project “Reconstruction of Haiti: Strengthening Argentina’s Capacity for Effective Cooperation”, run by FLACSO and supported by the International Development Research Centre. She has published extensively on Brazilian foreign policy, Latin America–US relations, regional security and integration.