Haiti was the first Latin-American nation to gain independence in 1804. This result inspired several nations in the region in their struggle for independence. In 1928, Brazil and Haiti established diplomatic relations.[1] That same year, both nations opened diplomatic legations in their respective capitals. In 1953, the level of representation was raised to an embassy.[2] Initially, relations between both nations took place in multilateral forums such as at the Organization of American States.
In February 2012, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff paid a state visit to Haiti. During her visit, she met with President Michel Martelly and Prime Minister Garry Conille. On the agenda were economic ties and the efforts to assist Haitian refugees arriving in Brazil since the 2010 Haitian earthquake of which more than 15,000 Haitians have immigrated to Brazil. In 2012, the National Immigration Council of Brazil eliminated the limit of twelve hundred annual permanent visas for humanitarian reasons, which could be granted to Haitian nationals.[1][4]
In June 2017, Brazilian Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes traveled to Haiti to participate in the ceremony for the transfer of command from Brazil and reviewed the last military contingent of Brazilian MINUSTAH troops, thus marking the final period of Brazil's mission in Haiti. More than 36,000 Brazilian military personnel have passed through the mission since its establishment in 2004, making Brazil the largest country contributing troops.[5]
Both nations have signed a few agreements such as an Agreement for Cultural Cooperation (1966); Agreement on Bilateral and Technical Cooperation (1982) and a Tripartite Brazil-Cuba-Haiti Agreement on the Program for Strengthening the Health Authority of Haiti (2010).[1]
