Photo Credit: Refugees International/Sarah Martin
02/25/2005

Brazilian forces of the UN peacekeeping operation in Haiti patrol in Bel Air, a violent neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. Haitians in Bel Air told Refugees International (RI) that they trust the Brazilians, and want a stronger peacekeeping force in their neighborhood.

One man told RI, "The HNP (Haitian National Police) are not welcome here.... Even if you have not done anything, they will run after you," he said. "The Brazilians, however, treat us better. They will not shoot you for no reason. They will come and find out what is going on and will talk to us. But they need to be living here in Bel Air with us. They need to walk on the streets more. We want them around. The area that we are in right now is pretty secure but there are areas that everyone is afraid to come to. Those are the areas we need the Brazilians in because it will make us safer."