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Latin American nations send aid to Haiti

Latin American nations have scrambled to deployed rescue workers, doctors and supplies to the earthquake-hit island of Haiti.

Rescue efforts stepped up as Haiti’s prime minister warned the death toll may top 100,000 from Tuesday’s brutal 7.0-magnitude earthquake that flattened much of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Neighboring Cuba where also felt the quake and evacuated some 30,000 people following a brief tsunami alert, sent 30 doctors on Wednesday, according to Cuban media.

Some 400 Cuban medical staff already in Haiti were largely unharmed and two Cuban field hospitals in the capital, Port-au-Prince, had dealt with almost 700 wounded by early Wednesday, said Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez.

Brazil said it was sending 10 million dollars in immediate disaster aid, including 28 tons of drinking water and food.

Peru will send two planes with 50 metric tons of humanitarian aid, mainly food, and 18 doctors and nurses and two field hospitals, the health minister said Wednesday afternoon, adding that Peruvian President Alan Garcia may accompany the mission.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez promised more aid after the departure of a first group of 50 doctors, firefighters and rescue workers from Venezuela early Wednesday.

Mexico, Colombia and Guatemala also promised to send rescue workers and aid as soon as possible.

Bolivian Defense Minister Walker San Miguel said none of Bolivia’s estimated 200 soldiers in Haiti had been killed, and that the impoverished Andean nation was offering to help UN rescue operations.

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