Brasília, March 3, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Brazilian government's decision to send peace forces to Haiti has already been taken, but for the time being the Ministries of Foreign Relations and Defense are working out the details of the plan for Brazilian assistance, which will only take place three months from now. The dispatch of Brazilian troops will occur in the second phase of the operation by the United Nations (UN), when the process of restoring democracy in the country will be carried out.

The decision to send a multinational force immediately to Haiti to guarantee the peace process, following the renunciation of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was made on Sunday (29) by the UN Security Council, of which Brazil is a member until 2006. The request was made by the acting President of Haiti, Boniface Alexandre.

The President of Chile, Ricardo Lagos, announced that within 48 hours the first battalion of 120 soliders from the Special Army Forces will be arriving in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, to join contingents led by the United States, France, and Canada. In all, Chile will send 220 military personnel, the largest mission it has sent in all its history.

The Minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Amorim, conversed over the weekend with the American Secretary of State, Colin Powell, about possible Brazilian participation in Haiti. The French Minister of Foreign Relations, Dominique de Villepin, was also in contact with Powell and, together, they were able to convince the Central African Republic to give safe haven to the deposed president.

Haiti was a French colony until 1804, when the Haitians defeated Napoleon's troops. (DAS)