Contributions from Carin Zissis
A March 31 UN donor conference sparked pledges of nearly $10 billion to help Haiti rebuild. A recovery commission involving the UN, donor countries, and the Haitian government will oversee rebuilding projects, but concerns about implementation continue.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva this week announced a major infrastucture investment plan valued at roughly $880 billion. News of the plan could provide a boost to the political campaign of his chosen successor, Dilma Rousseff, ahead of the October 2010 election.
With the recent death of a Cuban hunger striker and harassment of the Ladies in White dissident group in Havana, U.S. President Barack Obama criticized human rights conditions on the island. His March 24 statement came ahead of a large Miami-based rally supporting dissidents.