It's been four years since the worst natural disaster
in the history of the Western Hemisphere On Sunday, Haitians held solemn
remembrances in Port-au-Prince.
The earthquake in 2010
killed more than 100,000, did $13 billion in damage and left an already
strained country fractured wide open.
But today, as we
discovered in a recent visit, there are changes taking place that might
surprise you.
Four years after the earthquake, Haiti still has a problem providing its citizens with clean water.
CBS News
In the past four years, the
Haitian government says 97 percent of the rubble left behind by the earthquake
has been removed. Now they're trying to remove the notion that Haiti isn't a
great place to vacation.
"We have enormous potential for tourism
and this is something that Haiti has not been seen as a tourism destination
before, because they thought more of our shortfalls than of our assets," said
Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe.
Lamothe believes Haiti has some of the
best beaches in the world, which is why the country is putting up four new
airports, as well as billboards across Miami.
"If you take Haiti's security,
for example, right now we are one of the safest destinations in the Caribbean,"
Lamothe said. “So why is Haiti always seen as not doing well in tourism? Because
we don't have enough tourist attraction points."
Lamothe and President Michel Martelly
both have unconventional backgrounds for politicians. Martelly is a former musician and club
owner. Lamothe was a telecommunications executive who is now dating a
supermodel. They gave Haiti's recovery a catchy title: “Haiti’s Open for
Business.”
Is business the way back for Haiti?
"Well, business is a way to create
jobs," said Lamothe. "'Haiti’s Open for Business' is a way for us to take care
of the poorest in Haiti by creating jobs, by attracting foreign investment."
Still, enormous challenges remain. The
Martelly government has faced a string of protests in recent weeks from
opposition parties and unions. A cholera epidemic has highlighted Haiti's
horrendous water system. And more than 100,000 people who lost their homes
remain in tent camps.
What the administration says Haiti
needs most is more money. Lamothe told CBS News that nearly half of the
financial aid pledged to Haiti after the earthquake has not been paid.
"The country is slowly getting back on
its feet," Lamothe said. "We were 50 stories underground after the earthquake.
Right now we are 20 stories underground. We still have much to do."
Jeff
Glor was named anchor of the Sunday edition of the "CBS Evening News" in
January 2012 and Special Correspondent for "CBS This Morning" in
November 2011.
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