PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A new contingent of Salvadoran soldiers arrived in Haiti on Thursday, bolstering a beleaguered multinational security force tasked with dismantling criminal gangs that have plunged the Caribbean nation into a spiral of violence and instability. The deployment underscores escalating international efforts to stabilize Haiti, where armed groups now control nearly 80% of the capital and over 300,000 civilians have been displaced.
The troops, part of a United Nations-backed security mission first approved in late 2023, join forces from Kenya, Jamaica, and Chile already on the ground. Their arrival comes as Haiti’s transitional government and global partners scramble to reclaim territory from gangs accused of widespread killings, kidnappings, and sexual violence.
A Fragile Lifeline
Haiti’s crisis has deepened since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, with gangs exploiting a power vacuum to seize critical infrastructure, including ports and highways, crippling food and aid distribution. The UN estimates that over 5.5 million Haitians—half the population—require humanitarian assistance.
El Salvador’s deployment, which includes specialized anti-gang units, signals a strategic shift in the mission’s approach. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who has drawn both praise and condemnation for his iron-fisted crackdown on gangs at home, framed the move as a “regional responsibility” to combat transnational crime.
“Haiti’s suffering is our suffering,” said Salvadoran Defense Minister René Merino Monroy in a statement. “We bring experience, resolve, and solidarity to this fight.”
Skepticism and Challenges
While Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille welcomed the reinforcements, calling them “a critical step toward restoring order,” critics warn that foreign interventions have repeatedly failed to address the root causes of Haiti’s collapse. Past UN missions, including a 13-year stabilization effort ending in 2019, were marred by scandals, including allegations of sexual abuse and a deadly cholera outbreak.
“Troops alone won’t save Haiti,” said Emmanuela Douyon, a Port-au-Prince-based activist and policy analyst. “Without disarming gangs, reinstating democratic institutions, and tackling corruption, this cycle of violence will continue.”
The mission has also faced logistical hurdles, including delayed funding and uneven participation from pledged nations. The U.S., initially a key backer, suspended financial support last month, citing concerns over the force’s efficacy—a move Haitian leaders called “a catastrophic betrayal.”
Regional Implications
El Salvador’s involvement reflects its growing role as a security partner in Latin America under Bukele’s leadership. Once among the world’s most violent countries, El Salvador has slashed homicide rates through mass arrests and draconian prison measures, though human rights groups accuse Bukele of authoritarian overreach.
“Bukele is exporting his ‘war on gangs’ model, but Haiti isn’t El Salvador,” said Geoff Thale, president of the Washington Office on Latin America. “Haiti’s gangs are deeply entrenched in politics and economics. This requires nuance, not just brute force.”
Meanwhile, Kenya—which pledged 1,000 officers to lead the mission—has paused further deployments amid domestic legal challenges and funding uncertainties.
A Test of Resolve
For Haitian civilians, the reinforcements offer fleeting hope. In Port-au-Prince’s Cité Soleil slum, where rival gangs battle for control, resident Jean-Claude Paul, 34, described living in “a war zone.”
“We bury neighbors every day. If these soldiers can’t protect us, no one will,” he said.
The UN Security Council is set to review the mission’s progress next month, with diplomats privately acknowledging that patience is wearing thin. For now, Haiti’s fate hinges on a fragile alliance of foreign boots and weary local resolve.
