Guatemalan and Salvadoran Troops Land for Haiti Mission
A team of security personnel from Guatemala and El Salvador arrived in Haiti’s capital on Friday, joining efforts to restore stability amid escalating violence by armed gangs.
The contingent included 75 Guatemalan and eight Salvadoran officers, according to a spokesperson for the United Nations-backed mission.
Haiti’s transitional council president, Leslie Voltaire, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime, and U.S. Ambassador Dennis Hankins welcomed the troops at Port-au-Prince airport, the Haitian interim government announced on social media.
“These forces are here to support the Multinational Force in tackling gang violence and illegal weapons,” the government stated.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo had committed in September to deploy 150 military police after previously promising a contribution to the mission.
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El Salvador had pledged in August to send 78 soldiers for medical evacuation support, along with three helicopters, to assist Haitian forces in navigating difficult terrain and gang-controlled routes.
President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, known for his crackdown on organized crime through mass trials and a massive prison project, has claimed he could “fix” Haiti’s gang crisis, emphasizing the need to eliminate criminal networks.
Led by Kenya, which sent nearly 400 police officers last year, the mission has seen limited progress. Despite additional support from Jamaica and Belize, gang-related violence surged in late 2024, displacing thousands and extending criminal control across new areas.
Haiti’s police force, already weakened by significant attrition, continues to struggle. Although over 3,100 troops have been pledged by 10 nations, most commitments remain unfulfilled.
Guatemalan and Salvadoran Troops Land for Haiti Mission
