El Salvador's Bukele Highlights Military Role in Haiti Amid Ongoing Gang Crisis

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has shared new visual evidence of his country's military involvement in Haiti, posting videos of armed Salvadoran soldiers patrolling local streets and interacting with residents. In a social media post on Wednesday, Bukele issued a bold challenge to local criminal groups, stating, "Gather your gangs so we can go fight with them."

These updates arrive as Haitian authorities report significant progress in the search for four Salvadoran aviation technicians who were attacked by gang members more than two weeks ago. While the men have not yet been located, police announced on Tuesday that they discovered the burned remains of the truck used by the group. The wreckage was found in the Santo neighborhood of Croix-des-Bouquets, a community outside the capital of Port-au-Prince that has largely been under gang control.

The discovery was made during a joint operation involving the Haitian national police, the United Nations-backed multinational Gang Suppression Force, and Salvadoran troops. The initial disappearance of the four technicians on October 18 led Bukele to dispatch over 2,000 soldiers and military hardware to the Caribbean nation. Since taking office in 2019, Bukele has been known for his aggressive approach to crime in El Salvador, which includes a state of emergency that rights groups argue has suspended many civil rights.

Bukele also shared footage on Tuesday showing Salvadoran military helicopters engaging with gangs that were attacking soldiers from Chad who are part of the suppression force. He claimed that the gangs no longer hold the upper hand and emphasized that Salvadoran forces are present to help Haitians free themselves from gang control. However, the deployment has sparked debate regarding accountability and the use of force.

Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General's office, noted in New York that only about 200 of the Salvadoran soldiers fall under the direct jurisdiction of the multinational force. He stressed the importance of conducting security operations within the framework of international human rights law to ensure that people's rights are respected.

In contrast, Haiti's Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime has reassured the public that the foreign forces are operating under Haitian authority. Speaking alongside Salvadoran, Haitian, and multinational commanders on Tuesday, he stated that the international forces came to support and reinforce the state, not to replace it.

Tensions remain high among local groups. Wilson Joseph, the leader of the 400 Mawozo gang, told the Associated Press that he wrote to the UN Secretary-General requesting an opportunity for dialogue. He expressed concern over the killing of civilians as fighting has intensified. Haiti has lacked an elected government since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, with transitional governments struggling to restore order.

The country's Provisional Electoral Council recently announced that national elections would be delayed, moving the first round of voting from December 13 to July 18, 2027. A second round is now scheduled for October 4, 2027. Voter registration remains challenging, with fewer than one million people registered out of approximately 6.5 million eligible citizens, as gang-controlled roads and displacement hinder efforts.

The conflict has severely impacted humanitarian aid, leaving about 5.94 million Haitians facing acute hunger. Doctors Without Borders reported that the surge in fighting since the Salvadorans' disappearance has injured 30 people, including women and children, in the eight days following October 18. The organization warned that the addition of international forces could worsen the situation, fearing more victims and displacement in the coming days.