El Salvador has deployed more than 2,000 soldiers to Haiti in a rapid and sweeping military operation initiated by President Nayib Bukele. The intervention, which could see additional personnel arrive in the coming days, was officially launched to rescue four Salvadoran nationals reported missing since October 18 near the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.
The swift mobilization has raised significant questions regarding its speed and scope in a Caribbean nation already mired in prolonged political instability and severe gang violence. Photographic evidence from October 26 captured an armored vehicle belonging to Salvadoran special forces operating in Port-au-Prince.
Haiti’s transitional government broke six days of silence regarding the presence of the Central American forces following a telephone conversation on Wednesday, October 28, between Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé and President Bukele. In a brief official statement, the Haitian executive branch noted that the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral coordination and operational cooperation to address ongoing security challenges.
The transitional government further clarified that the deployment of Salvadoran forces operates within the framework of the Gang Suppression Force. This international military mission deployed to Haiti in April under a mandate from the United Nations Security Council, tasked with combating the armed groups that continue to terrorize multiple regions of the country, particularly around the capital.
