Hti: Caricom left the door open for Brazil's ascendance at their expense

Brazil's motives
Mr Girault says Brazil is to be aware of the enormity of the task ahead. He explains that the decision to contribute troops to Haiti is in line with Brazil's ambitions to build a role as a regional crisis mediator and win a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

"I think it's a good thing for Haiti that a big developing country like Brazil wants to get involved. Brazil is still grappling with a lot of poverty in the northeast, for instance, and the Lula government in particular claims it has a recipe for reducing poverty and for feeding the people, which is quite important in Haiti also."

The US response
But how will the United States, the real superpower in the region, look upon President Lula and his left-leaning Brazilian foreign policy having such an influence on the future shape of Haiti? Mr Girault believes Washington will welcome Brazil's input.

"In Haiti, there are two countries that have a key importance: the US and France. They both led the intervention in February. I think France and the United States are all too happy that other countries like Brazil and Chile are going to be involved and lead a UN-mission. It's important that other countries are involved in resolving the problems of Haiti, which currently has no backbone, no state."

Had Caricom heads had and exercised some foresight, had they been less reflexively anti-Bush, they would have seen the political advantages to be derived from moving swiftly on Haiti. Now, instead of becoming a powerful voice to be listened to by Washington, Caricom has placed itself behind another leftist government, Lula's, and set itself up against Washington. Thus, Caricom is ensuring that they will remain powerless in their own yard. Not a bright idea all round at all.