French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Haiti on Wednesday. Sarkozy, who was greeted at the Port-au-Prince airport by Haitian President Rene Preval, toured a French field hospital before delivering a brief speech at the French embassy, one of few undamaged buildings in the capital. The French president said his visit was significant because of France and Haiti's historical ties. Sarkozy said the Caribbean country needs a reconstruction plan that supports provinces outside the capital to help shift people away from Port-au-Prince. He said one reason the death toll was so high was that the city was not built to sustain such a large population. It is time for Haiti to take control of its destiny and free itself from dependence on foreign aid, Sarkozy said. “We are living a pivotal moment, a moment of truth for Haiti,” he said. “The Haitian people have been wounded. … [But] the Haitian people are standing,” he concluded.
