Explaining Brazil #165: Should Brazil reengage in Haiti?

Haiti has once again been struck by calamity, after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit the country over the weekend. Deaths already number in the thousands, with a huge number of disappeared persons. After the earthquake, a cyclone hit the Caribbean nation, adding to the damage.

But even before the quake, Haiti was already marred by political and social crises. Cities are dominated by gangs, violence is on the rise, and mercenaries assassinated former President Jovenel Moïse a month ago.

One could only expect the international community to step in — as foreign forces remain major power brokers in Haiti. This is especially the case when it comes to U.S. forces and interests.

But if a new plan for aid is decided upon, what role — if any — would there be for Brazil?

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Guest:

• Leandro Nery Alves Vargas is an Army Colonel and was part of the Brazilian Armed Forces’ Instruction Center for Peacekeeping Operations (CIOpPaz). He spoke to Brasília correspondent Janaína Camelo.
• Kai Michael Kenkel is an associate professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. He is a part of the university’s Institute of International Relations and serves as general coordinator for the Center on Democracy and Armed Forces.

Background reading:

• Reporter Lucas Berti explains Brazil’s involvement in UN peacekeeping efforts, in numbers.
• In 2019, the United Nations decided to end its 15-year-long Stabilization Mission (MINUSTAH). Brazilian troops had already pulled out in 2017. We looked back at the legacy left by the Brazilian blue helmet troops.
• The first iteration of President Jair Bolsonaro’s cabinet included four generals who had had prominent roles in MINUSTAH. It was Brazil’s biggest and most ambitious military intervention since World War II — but it was also shrouded in controversy.
• Haiti entered a new chapter of political turmoil in February, with violent protests calling for the resignation of then-President Jovenel Moïse. Five months later, mercenaries assassinated him in his home in Port-au-Prince.
• If that wasn’t enough, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake off the coast of the country caused widespread damage and loss of life.

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