El Salvador deploys 2,000 troops to Haiti for missing air force techs
President Nayib Bukele announced the large-scale mission after rejecting the bodies handed over by Haitian officials.
By Jabari Long ·
El Salvador dispatched more than 2,000 soldiers to Haiti on Wednesday to locate four of its air force technicians who disappeared nearly two weeks ago. The deployment represents a sharp escalation in tensions between the two Caribbean nations.
The foreign ministry stated that President Nayib Bukele notified Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime earlier in the week about the move. Officials described the effort as a large-scale operation supported by various countries and international organizations. Bukele added that the troops would assist with ongoing security efforts against gangs in Haiti.
The four missing men are air force technicians serving with the Gang Suppression Force, a UN-backed anti-gang mission. They were returning to their base in an armoured vehicle when they were ambushed in Croix-des-Bouquets, an area controlled by armed groups. No gang has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Disagreement over the fate of the missing soldiers has strained relations between the governments. Earlier this week, Haitian officials handed over four bodies to special forces, identifying them as the missing servicemen. Bukele rejected the claim, stating the remains did not match. He noted that one of the bodies was a child and another wore the military uniform of a different country.
Last week, Bukele posted on X that he would wipe out Haiti's gangs if they did not release the Salvadorans. He said he would replicate the approach he has taken against gangs in El Salvador.
The Gang Suppression Force received expanded powers from the UN Security Council in October of last year to address worsening violence. However, the multinational force has struggled to enter areas where gangs hold sway. The UN reports that more than 5,700 people have been killed in gang-related violence in Haiti this year.
Armed groups control much of the capital. Haiti has suffered from gang violence for years, but conditions have deteriorated further amid the political vacuum that followed the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
