On Wednesday, a solemn ceremony was held at the military base of the UN Mission in Port-au-Prince, to pay a last tribute to Sergeant Rodrigo Andrés Sanhueza Soto (35) of Chilean battalion, who succumbed to a fatal gunshot wound, Monday, April 13, 2015, while on administrative mission and that the vehicle he was traveling in was the object of shooting from violent demonstrators in Ouanaminthe, in the Northeast of Haiti https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13601-haiti-flash-extreme-tension-at-the-border-a-peacekeeper-shot-dead.html

The ceremony took place in presence of Sandra Honoré, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Haiti, Marcos Robledo, Chilean Deputy Minister of Defence, the Prime Minister of Haiti, Evans Paul, of representatives of the diplomatic community in Haiti, the Chilean military and civil authorities and of representatives of civilian, military staff and UNPOL.

"The loss of Sergeant Soto is a painful event for both Chile and its armed forces than for the Minustah," declared Marcos Robledo who represented the Government of Chile. "From Haiti, I send condolences and solidarity of the Government of Chile to his wife, his two son (10 years and 3 years) and his family."

Sandra Honoré, after having expressed the condolences of the United Nations, on behalf of its Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, of the United Nations family, of the Minustah and in her own name, spoke with emotion to the Haitian people "I ask all Haitians to take a firm stand against violence and to ensure an end to this cycle of loss and destruction."

Prime Minister Paul announced that Haitian authorities had opened an investigation "to determine the exact circumstances of the death of the soldier that we carry already very high in our heart [...]" adding "The Government of the Republic take all legal and administrative provisions necessary to shed light on the death of the missing soldier. According to the laws and legal principles governing the Republic of Haiti, those who must be arrested will be behind bars, those to be condemned will be sentenced after a fair trial."

While the ceremony was held on the birthday of the late peacekeeper, the Commander of the Chilean Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Nuñez de la Puente, recalled the personality of Sergeant Sanhueza Soto "recognized by his colleagues for his helpful nature, jovial and for his professionalism, always ready to help beyond his responsibilities in the infirmary of the Battalion with a smile and a joke [...] May he rest in peace."

HL/ HaitiLibre