The comparisons are inevitable. The earth shook violently in two countries within a six-week period. In both cases, there was death and destruction. Both Chile and Haiti are vulnerable to seismic activity, and both have suffered their share of natural disasters.

Although no loss of life should be diminished, the question that persists is why the 7.3-magnitude earthquake in Haiti killed up to 230,000 people, as the government claims, while the 8.8-magnitude tremor in Chile -- a thousand times stronger, according to some experts -- took the lives of only a small fraction of that?

One explanation could be the location of the epicenter. In Chile it was 22 miles deep off the coast, and in Haiti only six miles deep and close to the most populated city in the country.

But another reason for the two very different results of similar tragedies is the great socioeconomic disparity between the two nations. One is among the richest, most developed countries in the hemisphere; the other is the poorest and most underdeveloped.

Chile's past experience with earthquakes has led the country to establish strict building codes. The population, with one of the highest literacy rates in the region, was quick to react. The country has the resources to respond to an emergency: skilled rescue teams, heavy equipment, a strong military and appropriate structures to serve as shelters. Several cities and small towns were affected, but the capital suffered only minor damage.

Haiti, on the other hand, was left completely disabled, with authorities unable to respond to the crisis. Most government buildings in Haiti were destroyed, along with thousands of homes and businesses, and communications were totally cut off. Virtually the entire capital was in ruins. The government, unable to deal with the magnitude of the tragedy, depended almost completely on outside help.

Although no one is to blame for a natural disaster except Mother Nature, in Chile as well as in Haiti, those who rule the respective countries are at least partly responsible for the loss of life.

In Haiti, government irresponsibility and a culture of corruption had made the country ripe for a disaster. Several Haitians told me, when I was there covering the aftermath of the quake, that they were not surprised. They knew that the day a strong earthquake or hurricane hit, the country would be destroyed. There are no building codes, even though Haiti sits on a dangerous fault in the middle of the Caribbean.

When disaster hit, no shelters were set up, no aid was distributed, no rescue efforts were begun until several days later, and even then it was foreigners, not Haitians, who came to the rescue. The population, lacking information on what to do in case of a disaster, was lost.

In Chile, in spite of their preparedness, it is believed that a great number of deaths occurred not from collapsed buildings but from the waves that swept away entire communities shortly after the deadly tremor.

Many residents of the coastal cities had fled to higher ground, anticipating the possibility of a tsunami, yet military personnel are said to have ordered them back to their homes, assuring them it was safe. Chile's defense minister later recognized that it was a mistake not to have warned President Michelle Bachelet of the possible threat of giant waves and not to have ordered an evacuation.

Too little, too late. Survivors have told harrowing stories of having their loved ones ripped out of their arms and being eaten up by the ocean. Six days after the earthquake, the death toll had been downgraded to around 300 from 800. And even with all its resources, government aid had not yet reached those in need. Not exactly the legacy President Bachelet wanted to leave when she leaves office on March 11.

Unfortunately, earthquakes are a natural phenomenon that cannot be predicted. There is so much we don't know about Earth's adjustments and readjustments, but we do know the level of destruction they can cause. Our world leaders need to be ready to respond in order to prevent making a bad situation worse.

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(Maria Elena Salinas is the author of “I AM MY FATHER'S DAUGHTER: LIVING A LIFE WITHOUT SECRETS.” Reach her at www .mariaesalinas.com)

© 2010 by Maria Elena Salinas

Distributed by King Features Syndicate