News

Haiti: Mariano Fernandez Ends Term as Head of UN Peacekeeping Mission

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - February 1, 2013

Above: Former MINUSTAH Chief Mariano Fernandez

By Alexander Britell

Mariano Fernandez, MINUSTAH Chief and Special Representative of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Haiti, officially ended his 20 month term as head of the UN’s MINUSTAH peacekeeping mission in Haiti Thursday.

Fernandez, a native of Chile, gave his final briefing to the Security Council this week, following a call to Haitian leaders to organize legislative elections in the country “as soon as possible.”

A spokesperson for the Office of the Secretary General told Caribbean Journal that no successor for Fernandez had yet been announced.

Fernandez had made improving Haiti’s security institutions a priority while serving as MINUSTAH chief.

In a Q&A-style UN release at the end of his term, Fernandez said that the most difficult challenge in Haiti was for Haitians to “reach a political agreement and to have a much more stable democracy.”

“Elections have been delayed for 14 months, and at the time that I leave the country, there is still on [Permanent] Electoral Council,” he said. “The Haitian political, economic and social elite need to agree to advance the country in a direction that is not so hard to find, because the country has great potential.”

Popular Posts w punta cana

A New All-Inclusive W Hotel Is Opening This Year in Punta Cana 

The first-ever all-inclusive W Hotel in the Caribbean is opening this year in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Caribbean Journal has learned.  The hotel, part of a broad expansion for parent company Marriott International, is on the list of expected 2024 […]


Why Grenada Is a New Caribbean Luxury Hotspot

beach house silversands

From its world-renowned chocolate to its pristine beaches to a region-leading focus on sustainability, Grenada is as fascinating and unique as destination as you’ll find in the Caribbean.  But in the last few years, the lush Eastern Caribberan island has […]


5 Adults-Only Resorts to Visit Right Now in the Caribbean 

galley bay

Sometimes you just want that extra degree of serenity, of privacy, of seclusion. There is a reason, after all, that adults-only resorts are booming in popularity, particularly in the Caribbean: travelers want to know that when they arrive, they know […]


Related Posts haiti spirit airlines cap-haitien

Spirit Relaunches Flights to Cap-Haitien, Haiti

Spirit Airlines has relaunched its flights from Fort Lauderdale to Cap-Haitien on the northern coast of Haiti.  The low-cost carrier resumed the service between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Cap-Haitien International Airport on Dec. 3.  The service is the only […]


Eastern Airlines Is Launching Flights to the Dominican Republic

dominican republic eastern airlines

The revived Eastern Airlines is back in the Caribbean.  The new iteration of the once-legendary carrier is set to launch expanded Caribbean flights in December with service to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  Eastern Airlines will be launching twice-weekly flights from […]


From The Bahamas to Jamaica, The Talking Heads’ Caribbean Love Story

bahamas talking heads jamaica

Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz’s new book, Remain in Love, is a billet-doux to his bandmate and wife of more than 40 years, bassist Tina Weymouth, as well as documenting the couple’s musical journey together — first, as part of […]


SUBSCRIBE!

Sign up for Caribbean Journal's free newsletter for a daily dose of beaches, hotels, rum and the best Caribbean travel information on the net.


No. Thank You