Haiti’s leader has spoken publicly for the first time since four Salvadoran aviation technicians went missing, prompting El Salvador to deploy more than 2,000 troops to the troubled Caribbean country as scrutiny over their operations intensifies PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Haiti’s prime minister spoke publicly on Tuesday for the first time since four Salvadoran aviation technicians went missing last month, prompting El Salvador to deploy more than 2,000 troops to the troubled Caribbean country as scrutiny over their operations intensifies. Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said Haiti, which is battling powerful gangs, is responsible for the direction of foreign forces in his country. It appeared to be a show of unity as concerns grow about Salvadoran troops acting unilaterally.
Gangs have grown in power since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. They now control 70% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and have expanded their activities, including looting, kidnapping, sexual assaults and rape, into the countryside. Haiti has not had a president since the assassination.
Fils-Aimé thanked El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele in his brief speech. It also did not have a protection agreement with Haiti’s government or a memorandum of understanding with the Dominican Republic to medevac injured personnel of the U.N.-backed gang suppression force. Damian Merlo, a lobbyist for El Salvador's government, asserted that the country's forces are closely coordinating with the gang suppression force and Fils-Aimé's office.
He declined to clarify who the Salvadoran troops were reporting to or provide more details on operations, adding that “the only ones operating outside international law are the gangs.” Up until the attack, the primary role of the roughly 200 Salvadorans in Haiti was to assist medically. Meanwhile, the whereabouts and operations of the recently deployed Salvadoran troops remained murky. Fils-Aimé said the government’s priorities are to reestablish security across Haiti and hold elections.
The prime minister spoke a day after the U.N. said that most of El Salvador’s personnel in Haiti are not operating under the framework of the U.N.-backed gang suppression force. U.N. officials underscored the importance of complying with international law. The prime minister said the international force came to help support Haiti and “uproot gangs,” adding that more than 1,000 new police officers just graduated from training, and that he hopes to see 4,000 new police officers and 15,000 new soldiers join the fight against gangs.
The prime minister said security operations have been launched in places including Kenscoff, Gressier and l’Artibonite, which have faced brutal gang violence in recent years. Experts and those involved in Haiti’s security operations are raising questions about how the recently deployed Salvadoran troops are operating and what role they’re playing. Navy SEAL and Blackwater founder Erik Prince.
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