PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Colombian President Gustavo Petro visited Haiti on Wednesday as part of a whirlwind trip to strengthen ties with the violence-wracked country.
He was expected to meet with officials and talk about potential joint projects focused on sectors including agriculture, technology and the economy, according to a statement from Petro’s office.
Petro arrived in the southern coastal city of Jacmel, bypassing the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, whose main international airport remains void of commercial air traffic ever since gangs opened fire on several airlines in November.
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His visit comes as Haiti’s prime minister and a transitional presidential council continue to reach out to various countries as Haitian police officers and a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenya struggle to contain gang violence.
“In a crucial moment for Haiti’s stability, Colombia reaffirms its commitment to the strengthening of democracy and the development of the region,” Petro’s office said.
Haiti’s government spent more than $3.8 million to overhaul Jacmel’s crumbling infrastructure in preparation for Petro’s visit. Projects included restoring electricity, renovating the town hall and more than doubling the runway length at the local airport to accommodate Colombian military aircraft.
Prior to arriving in Haiti, Petro met with officials in the neighboring Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.
Petro is one of only a handful of heads of state that have visited Haiti recently given a surge in gang violence that has prompted a growing number of leaders in the international community to call for a U.N.-peacekeeping mission in the Caribbean country, noting that the current Kenyan-led mission lacks funds and personnel.
More than 5,600 people were killed in Haiti last year, a more than 20% increased compared with 2023, according to the U.N. In addition, more than 2,200 people were reported injured and nearly 1,500 kidnapped, it said.
The violence has displaced more than one million people in recent years in a country where nearly 2 million people are on the verge of starvation.
Petro was scheduled to fly back Thursday to Colombia, where recent guerrilla attacks in the country’s northeast region have left more than 80 people dead and forced thousands to flee their homes.
Petro visited Haiti just days after 17 former Colombian soldiers accused in the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse appeared in a court in Port-au-Prince, leading to speculation they might be released.
However, a judge postponed their hearing, with no trial date set yet.
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