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Brazil will maintain a contingent of 1,200 troops in the MINUSTAH peace force in Haiti in the coming months. This information was released by the communications chief of the Brazilian forces there, lieutenant-coronel Fernando Mattos.
The Army and the Marines have rotated their personnel every six months. The next substitution will occur this month. According to Mattos, the 1,200 soldiers presently in Haiti will be replaced by a contingent formed of 215 Marines, 825 men from the 10th Motorized Infantry Brigade of Recife (PE), and 150 military engineers from the Center-West and Minas Gerais. Mattos observes that the situation in Haiti has been calm since the presidential elections held in February. "In terms of public safety, the number of kidnappings, which amounted to around 160 in December, fell to a half dozen last month. The insecurity that was plaguing the population has been largely eliminated," he said. "But there are still isolated acts. In certain parts of the city you can hear the fire of gunshots." Mattos explains that 18 Brazilian soldiers in the first three troop contingents in Haiti were wounded. The fourth contingent, which has been in the country since December, has not suffered any victims in armed confrontations. Agência Brasil
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