Biden, Trudeau concerned about Haiti

OTTAWA – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the President of the United States Joe Biden both expressed concern about the deteriorating situation in the French Speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member state of Haiti, when they met during Biden’s two-day visit to Canada, that concluded on Friday. In a joint statement, the leaders pledged to increase community support to the people of Haiti, in particular by offering them security and humanitarian aid and better support for the National Police of Haiti (PNH). In a press release, the office of the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, said that in order to counter the crisis and support Peace and Security “Canada is investing an additional $100 million to provide enhanced policing support and equipment to the Haitian National Police, to bolster Haitian-led solutions to the crisis and support peace and security”, rather than lead an international force of several thousand men in Haiti. In addition, the Canadian government said that it will be imposing sanctions on two other members of the Haitian elite – they are former senator Nenel Cassy and businessman and former presidential candidate Steeve Khawly whose Canadian assets have been frozen. They are also prohibited from entering Canada. For his part, Biden said that his administration is looking to support the police department in Haiti and looking into whether the United Nations could play a role to quell the violence in the country. “The biggest thing we could do, and it’s going to take time, is to increase the prospect of the police department in Haiti having the capacity to deal with the problems,” Biden said during a press conference with Trudeau. (CMC)