St. Kitts and Nevis Permanent Representative, His Excellency Dr. Izben Williams (left) presents monetary contributions to the representatives of Chile and Haiti

Money collected by CARICOM for the victims of the earthquakes that devastated Organization of American States (OAS) member countries, Haiti and Chile on January 12 and February 27, respectively, was formally presented by the Representative of St. Kitts and Nevis to the OAS, His Excellency Dr. Izben C. Williams.

According to Ambassador Williams, the money represents a “symbolic amount” and a hemispheric show of solidarity in times of tragedy. The CARICOM fund was collected in memory of the victims of the earthquakes in the two noted country.

The Permanent Representative of Haiti to the OAS, His Excellency Ambassador Duly Brutus, thanked the Caribbean Community for their show of solidarity, and posited that the money “is going to be used for the sake of Haitian people.”

His Excellency Ambassador Darío Paya, the Permanent Representative of Chile to the OAS, also thanked CARICOM for the support and added that he was certain that it will help many Chileans to know that their plight was on the region's mind during the long cold winter ahead.

The President of the Permanent Council of the OAS and Permanent Representative of the United States to the Organization, Her Excellency Ambassador Carmen Lomellin, was present during the ceremony, which was held in her office at Organization headquarters in Washington, DC.