Last weekend, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck the country of Chile, making it the second major earthquake to strike a country this year. This event, despite being stronger than the earthquake that struck Haiti, does not seem to be generating the same amount of need and desperation that Haiti’s earthquake did. Both nations stand on major fault lines, resulting in a greater chance of earthquakes of strong intensity. Most likely, the state of each nation prior to the earthquake contributed to the amount of devastation to each country.
 

First of all, Chile is one of the more developed nations in Latin America, while Haiti is on the other end of the spectrum. According to a global corruption index created by Transparency International, a non-profit company stationed in Belgium, Chile ranks 25th and Haiti ranks 168th in corruption, with lower numerical rankings representing a less corrupt nation. My guess is that the amount of corruption in Haiti most likely led to structurally unsound buildings, making them easily destroyed in an earthquake so intense.

It is much easier to make cheaper buildings and have it not get noticed if the government does not enforce stricter guidelines in construction.
 

On the flip side, the Chilean president, Michelle Bachelet, has helped keep the foundations of Chile intact, making stricter restrictions on building plans. Additionally, Chile has the highest GDP per capita of Latin America, compared to Haiti, which is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. With the extra money and basic foundations of a developing nation, Chile managed to lower the amount of deaths and homeless by making the nation safer for living.
 

Still, Haiti is not too far off and can use its devastation as a means of survival in the future. Chile, once led by ruthless dictators, has become an example of how a change in political philosophy can benefit a nation in the long run. Haiti needs to start by making extreme efforts to put safety over cost. With a high amount of global support, this change is more likely to happen immediately. Haiti is on the rise to recover from its tragedy; however, without proper changes in quality laws, this destruction could easily happen again.
 

Haiti has not had the greatest history, but things can change, just like everything else in life. The two recent tragedies, while different in terms of magnitude, still occurred and both nations need help in order to recover. Do not forget that there are people out there that need our help and support. Help out and watch as the returns pay dividends in the long run.

Bryan Manderscheid is a freshman engineering major. He can be reached for comment at [email protected]