Saturday, for the last day of her visit to Haiti, the Queen Sofía of Spain, traveled by helicopter, with the President Martelly, to Titanyen [north of Port-au-Prince], to inquire about the progress of the construction of a wastewater treatment plant.

The President Michel Martelly announced that he had published a decree declaring of public utility the land where the plant is built. Land that had been the subject of claims in January 2011, by a group of Haitian families, who had been blocking the work, while 80% of the project was already completed.

The paralysis of the wastewater treatment plant of Titanyen [nearly 2 million dollars invested by Spain], had been a very bad news for the smooth running of the cooperation and for the relations between Haiti and Spain. The President having solved this land problem, the work will resume immediately and the plant should be operational, according to the predictions, in the coming months.

The Queen Sofía stated that this water treatment plant, shows that both countries are able to act together for the development of Haiti. For his part, the President Martelly indicated that the opening of this important treatment plant, "is a sign of the rebirth of Haiti and it proves that the country is moving towards a new era of progress and of welfare for the population."

oraya Rodriguez, Secretary of State for International Cooperation, who accompanied the Queen Sofía in her visit to Haiti, had declared yesterday that "Spain is the leading donor country of the European Union" with 346 million euros in aid to Haiti [for 2010-2013]. The Secretary of State said that 67% of pledges had been disbursed by Spain, noting that Haiti is one of the major beneficiaries of the Fund for Cooperation for water and sanitation, of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECI), either one hundred million dollars for treatment and water purification.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2177-haiti-spain-works-blocked-unacceptable.html

HL/ HaitiLibre