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lying within the country, “because the government needs to correct its internalsituation, and then…seek to establish itself as an international authority”. 653 Similarreservations were noted by other opposition parties, and even some of PT’scoalition partners such as Partido do Movimento Democratico Brasileiro (PMDB).Legislative support was ultimately ornamental, as one deputy noted, because priorto the vote in Congress, Brazilian troops were already headed for Rio de Janeirofrom their various regional bases, destined for Haiti. 654On 6 November 2004, Brazil announced that it would bolster the UN peacekeepingforce that at the time numbered barely 2,800. Brazil’s contribution raised the overallsize of the operation to 5,500 soldiers, and it also committed to staying in Haiti untilthe presidential elections, planned for that month. This enabled the UNSC toextend MINUSTAH’s mandate to June 2005. 655 According to Prof Kai MichaelKenkel, a scholar at Rio’s PUC-Rio University, the pressures for Brazilian actionderived from two key levels. First, in the UN Security Council, the United Statesand France had substantial interests in stabilising Haiti, but were limited in theirown capacity for doing so. At the Brazilian national level, a shift in favour of greaterengagement in foreign policy was already underway, with the entry to power of Lulain 2003. 656The request or application for participation in multilateral missions usually comesfrom MRE, so it is easy for the decision to become subject to international politicalimperatives. Compare the situation in Mexico, for example, where this decision is653 Magalhães Neto, Antônio Carlos. 2004. Speech in the Chamber of Deputies on theDispatch of Brazilian Troops to Haiti, PFL-BA. Accessed online at:http://www.camara.gov.br/internet/SitaqWeb/TextoHTML.asp?etapa=5&nuSessao=089.2.52.O&nuQuarto=95&nuOrador=2&nuInsercao=34&dtHorarioQuarto=15:20&sgFaseSessao=OD&Data=13/05/2004&txApelido=ANTÔNIO%20CARLOS%20MAGALHÃES%20NETO,%20PFL-BA on 6 December, 2010.654 Afonso, Paulo. 2004. Speech in the Chamber of Deputies on the Dispatch ofBrazilian Troops to Haiti, PMDB-SC. Accessed online at:http://www.camara.gov.br/internet/SitaqWeb/TextoHTML.asp?etapa=5&nuSessao=089.2.52.O&nuQuarto=95&nuOrador=2&nuInsercao=23&dtHorarioQuarto=15:20&sgFaseSessao=OD&Data=13/05/2004&txApelido=PAULO%20AFONSO,%20PMDB-SC on 6December, 2010.655 Armed Conflict Database: Haiti Summary, 2004.656 Interview with the author, July 2010.255