He was a 29-year veteran of the Brazilian military and by all accounts a reflective man who took his mission seriously. Some time last night, Lt. Gen. Urano Teixeira da Matta Bacellar stepped out on the balcony of his hotel suite overlooking the tropical lushness of Port au Prince and shot himself.
According to the AP:
``His unexpected death leaves us all bereft, and we offer our most sincere condolences to his family,'' said Damian Onses-Cardona, a spokesman for the U.N. mission in Haiti.
More below.
Ever since the American-engineered ousting of Bertrand Aristide, Haiti has slipped ever deeper into a hell of random violence, kidnapping, murder, hunger and despair. What is the opposite of a Midas touch?
The security situation has been unraveling in past weeks, with a rash of kidnappings hitting the capital. International election workers, journalists and ordinary Haitians have been among the victims.
Bacellar's death also came days after officials postponed national elections for the fourth time, blaming security problems and delays in distributing voter registration cards and setting up polling stations. The elections had been planned for Jan. 8. No new date has been set and it was not immediately clear what effect Bacellar's death would have on a new election timetable
When will there ever be good news for Haiti? Or Afghanistan? Or Iraq? A quiet moment of reflection is due Bacellar, his wife and two kids, and all the people today suffering from having received our 'help.'