Ambassador Merten Visits Jacmel

April 20, 2012

Ambassador Merten during his visit to Jacmel.

Ambassador Merten recently visited the city of Jacmel (Southeast) to connect with Jacmeliens in several sectors and see some projects funded by the U.S. government.

He visited shelters funded by the U.S. government for people displaced by the January 2010 earthquake. Following the disaster, the U.S. government helped build more than 3,000 shelters in the Jacmel region.  These temporary shelters are currently built under the supervision of the NGO Medair.

Ambassador Merten also visited the Cine Institute in Civadyer where young people from different regions of the country study cinematography.

After a meeting with the Mayor of Jacmel, Ronald Andris, Ambassador Merten visited the former prison of the city that is being rehabilitated by ISPAN, and which will be turned into a cultural center. The U.S. government is supporting this project through the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation. This fund helps the U.S. government protect sites, items, collections and everything related to culture. In Haiti, the U.S. Embassy has worked with the Ministry of Culture, ISPAN, and the Smithsonian American Institution of Cultural Preservation. We also funded seven projects for a total of five hundred thousand dollars, including rehabilitation projects at Sans-Souci Palace, the Citadelle Laferriere and the restoration of Fort Jacques.

Ambassador Kenneth Merten also visited craft projects, including a mural made by a talented group of young Jacmeliens. He took the opportunity to visit the construction site of the Village of Port Jacmel initiated by Michael Capponi, an American businessman who has invested in several hotels in Miami Beach. These projects are likely to attract additional investment to Haiti in order to stimulate the economy and create jobs.  Ambassador Merten stressed the importance of this type of investment as the only real way to increase prosperity for the Haitian people.