[ARCHIVO] President Bachelet: “Peace is an essential principle for Chile and its development model”
In the context of her Working Visit to Haiti, the President traveled to the city of Cap-Haïtien to visit the professional battalion of Chilean troops in Haiti. She was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Heraldo Muñoz and Minister of National Defense José Antonio Gómez.
“You are engaged in nation building every day, contributing alongside our Haitian brothers in the name of Chile and its people. Our country thanks you and congratulates you for the beautiful work that you are doing here. You represent the best of our country, collaborating with a nation that has faced all manner of difficulties and which needs the effort that you make every day in order to move forward”, the President stated as she began her remarks.
President Bachelet said that each of the 12,000 Chilean troops who have been stationed in Haiti since 2004 reflect Chile’s foreign policy and its unwavering commitment to international peace and security.
“We don’t do this out of volunteerism. Peace is an essential principle for Chile and its development model, which is also based on democracy, human rights and free trade, all of which are values that we protect and promote through these missions”, Bachelet stated.
Along this same line, the President highlighted our country’s participation in peace operations around the world. “Chile currently has a presence in the ALTHEA (Bosnia and Herzegovina), UNFICYP (Cypress), UNMOGIP (India-Pakistan), UNTSO (Middle East), MINUSTAH (Haiti, currently in withdrawal phase) and MINUSCA (Central African Republic) missions. We also are participating in the Special Political Observer Mission for the post-conflict period in Colombia”, she said.
President Bachelet also underscored the contributions that the Chilean battalion has made in Haiti. These include connections to and support for communities near the barracks, civil military activities and quick impact projects (QIPs). Chilean police agents helped to restructure the Haitian National Police and promoted public safety and the rule of law with a focus that guarantees respect for human rights.
“The mission that you form part of is based on the reduction of structural violence in this country and the improvement of the quality of life of the population. In other words, we have been successful in meeting the objectives set at the beginning of this mission”, the President stated.
She added, “We have communicated our decision to engage in a responsible and cooperative reduction of our military presence. When this process ends on April 15, over 12,000 Chilean soldiers and police officers will have passed through this country, helping to manage the security of the local environment and making a concrete contribution to international peace and security. We will continue to promote UN support for the new administration and the development of public policies focused on economic development, strengthening of the rule of law and political participation”.
As she closed her remarks, President Bachelet again thanked the Chilean troops. “At this moment of looking back, I would like to extend very special thanks through you to everyone who has participated in MINUSTAH dating back to what seems like a relatively distant 2004. You gave part of your lives to this mission, often sacrificing contact with your families for a higher goal”, she said.