Friday, October 30, 2026.
El Salvador and Haiti: ¿What does it Mean to be a Neighbor?
We tend to think of neighbors as the people closest to us. In international affairs, being a neighbor also raises a more difficult question: what responsibility do we have when another country’s troubles become a prolonged human tragedy?
This week, El Salvador and Haiti bring that question into focus. The disappearance of four Salvadoran military personnel serving in Haiti, and President Nayib Bukele’s response, have drawn renewed attention to a country whose citizens have lived with insecurity for far too long. For the families awaiting news of those men, the crisis is deeply personal. For Haitian families navigating violence and uncertainty every day, that anguish is painfully familiar.
My first reaction was one many readers may share: why has it taken so long for someone to act? Yet Haiti has seen international missions, foreign assistance, and military interventions before. The harder question is why those efforts have so often failed to produce security that lasts. Sending help requires resources and resolve. Ensuring that help leaves people safer requires accountability, capable institutions, and a commitment that survives the news cycle.
El Salvador’s involvement also invites us to consider how governments weigh responsibility against risk. Protecting their own citizens, supporting a neighbor, safeguarding borders, and demonstrating leadership can all influence a decision. Understanding those interests helps us look at both action and restraint with a more discerning eye.
For those of us who live, work, or have built a life in this region, these questions deserve our attention. They concern the kind of neighborhood we share—and what we should expect from those entrusted with its security.
This week, I invite you to explore El Salvador and Haiti with curiosity, perspective, and compassion. Behind every deployment and political statement are people hoping for something most of us take for granted: the freedom to go about an ordinary day without fear.
Brett Mikkelson
Founder, B.M. Investigations, Inc. – Private Investigations in Panama
Haiti Announces New Election Dates as 2,000 Salvadoran Troops Help Fight Gangs
Haiti’s government has announced new election dates as police and soldiers backed by the recent arrival of more than 2,000 troops from El Salvador fight gangs.
The Provisional Electoral Council said late Wednesday that the first round of general elections will be held next July 18 and the second round on Oct. 4.
Haiti has not held elections in more than a decade and is run by an unelected prime minister. The presidency has been vacant since President Jovenel Moïse was killed in 2021.
The council said it expects to publish the final candidate list, including those running for the presidency or the Senate, by mid-January, with May 20 marking the end of voter registration.
The first round of elections was initially scheduled for Dec. 13, but was delayed by gang violence in Haiti’s central region and in Port-au-Prince. Four aviation technicians from El Salvador working with a U.N.-backed gang suppression force went missing on Oct. 18 in the capital after coming under attack.
In response, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele sent more than 2,000 troops to Haiti to help rescue the four technicians, who the Haitian government says were abducted.
El Salvador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement late Wednesday that Bukele had spoken with Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé about the security operation to rescue the technicians.
Meanwhile, Haiti’s government issued a statement saying the two leaders are reinforcing cooperation within the framework of the U.N.-backed gang suppression force.
Experts have questioned exactly what role the Salvadoran troops are playing in Haiti.
Romain Le Cour, head of the Haiti Observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, said their rules of engagement, chain of command, objectives and duration “remain opaque.” He questioned what kind of coordination they might have with the gang suppression force, Haitian police and Vectus Global, the private security firm founded by former U.S. Navy SEAL and Blackwater founder Erik Prince.
“Are we witnessing yet another model of deployment, parallel to the multilateral framework? The role of the United States, which supported and facilitated this deployment, also deserves scrutiny,” he said.
Le Cour said the number of Salvadoran troops in Haiti will surpass that of personnel in the gang suppression force, raising questions about the future of the U.N.-backed force.
“What does that mean for its authority, its coherence and its future?”
He added: “the most basic question remains unanswered: why were the Salvadoran technicians in a gang-controlled neighborhood in the first place?”
Le Cour and others also raised concerns about the safety of Haitian civilians caught in a gun battle between Haitian gangs and the international forces.
On Wednesday, Doctors Without Borders issued a statement calling on “the authorities and all parties involved to spare civilians and ensure access to health care facilities for all the wounded and sick, without distinction.”
The aid agency said it treated 30 patients injured by gunfire or drone explosions from Oct. 18-26, and that it took some of the wounded several hours to reach hospitals run by Doctors Without Borders.
“Roads and bridges are blocked, and any travel is extremely risky,” said Davina Hayles, Doctors Without Borders head of mission in Haiti. “In a capital city where the health care system has collapsed and many facilities are closed, it is essential to ensure there is access to functioning health care facilities like ours.”
More than 5,700 people have been killed or wounded in Haiti from January to mid-September, according to the U.N. Those recently killed include two Haitians who worked for the Norwegian Refugee Council.
“We call on all parties concerned, including Haitian authorities as well as the international community, to do everything in their power to protect civilians, uphold international law, and prevent further violence,” the council said in a statement Thursday. “Neither the Haitian society nor the outside world can tolerate that civilians, including aid workers, are killed with impunity.”
Hunger Surges in Haiti as Gang Violence, High Food Prices and a Supercharged El Niño Persist
Nearly six million people in Haiti are experiencing severe hunger, with almost two million facing emergency conditions, according to a new report released Wednesday.
The worsening crisis in the Caribbean country of nearly 12 million people is blamed on a surge in gang violence and displacement, combined with high food and fuel prices and an extreme El Niño weather phenomenon that is threatening food security.
The U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization noted Wednesday that the number of people experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity in Haiti — 5.94 million — is “one of the highest levels in the world today.” It noted that more than half of Haiti’s population struggles to eat every day.
About one in two Haitians are unable to consistently access sufficient food, and the overall number of people with severe hunger is expected to surge to 6.35 million people — more than half of Haiti’s population — by mid-2027, according to the analysis published Wednesday by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a multi-partner U.N. initiative that analyzes food insecurity and malnutrition worldwide.
The number of Haitians facing severe hunger increased by nearly a quarter of a million since the initiative’s last report in April.
“The numbers are really, really alarming in comparison with other years,” Maxime Ngalula, Action Against Hunger’s country director for Haiti, said in a phone interview.
Many of those experiencing worsening hunger live in makeshift shelters and communities under fire by heavily armed gangs who are fighting Haiti’s National Police and a U.N.-backed gang suppression force.
Widespread gang violence in Haiti’s central region also has caused more hunger as farmers are chased from their lands and the main roads leading to Port-au-Prince and other areas are blocked, preventing goods from reaching the capital and other areas.
“The negotiation with gangs can take one, two, three days,” Ngalula said, adding that families sometimes travel up to nine miles (15 kilometers) to find a food distribution site because organizations are unable to access certain areas. “It’s not easy to serve them all.”
His organization distributes cash and food including rice and beans to help ease the hunger, but challenges remain, especially involving those left homeless by gang violence who are forced to move from one makeshift shelter to another.
“The strategy now is how to accompany these people or follow them,” Ngalula said.
In 2014, only 2% of Haiti’s population was food insecure, but a devastating Hurricane Matthew in 2016 that destroyed crops followed by a surge in gang violence have sparked widespread hunger.
The U.N.’s World Food Program noted it requires $78 million to sustain its operations in Haiti through March as the report issued Wednesday warned that “humanitarian assistance should be urgently scaled up to meet immediate needs.”
Deepening hunger comes amid a spike in fighting between gangs and the U.N.-backed force after four Salvadorean aviation technicians went missing in an attack on Oct. 18 in Port-au-Prince. Since then, El Salvador has deployed more than 1,000 soldiers to Haiti.
“We are very concerned about this surge in violence in densely populated neighborhoods of the capital,” Davina Hayles, Doctors Without Borders head of mission in Haiti, said in a statement on Wednesday. “We fear that this armed conflict will claim even more victims and displace even more people in the coming days, particularly with the arrival of additional international security forces.”
Relentless Gang Violence Threatens Haiti’s Long-Awaited Elections, Return to Democratic Rule, UN Officials Warn Security Council, Urging Scaled-Up Corrective Action
Armed gangs continue to terrorize Haiti, killing civilians and defying security forces, United Nations officials warned the Security Council today, as the severely understrength Gang Suppression Force struggles to contain violence threatening the country’s long-awaited elections and return to democratic rule.
Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), warned that armed gangs continue to challenge State authority despite intensified security operations. Between July and September, over 1,000 people were killed and over 100 abducted, while sexual violence remained rampant. Gangs are increasingly resorting to retaliatory attacks, hostage-taking and intimidation to undermine State authority.
Despite the violence, electoral preparations have progressed further than at any point in over a decade, he reported. Over 35 political parties and groupings and 3,500 candidates have registered, although changes to eligibility requirements for sanctioned candidates have sparked controversy. Cautioning against unrealistic electoral timetables, he warned: “The repeated announcement of electoral dates without a true assessment of their feasibility only serves to weaken the credibility of Haitian institutions.”
Jack Christofides, Special Representative for the Gang Suppression Force, reported that the Force now exceeds 2,000 personnel from 6 countries — just over one third of its authorized strength. More contingents are expected, but “sending soldiers and police forward without the right tools puts both our personnel and Haitian civilians at risk”, he warned.
“The Force is making a difference with what it has,” he said, citing operations to remove gang barricades, seize weapons and reduce gang influence. Yet, “gangs are testing the [Gang Suppression Force]”, he cautioned, pointing to attacks and reprisals against communities. “Clearing gangs from an area is an important step, but it is not an end in itself,” he stressed, noting that the Force must “help the Haitian authorities regain the upper hand, not to replace the State”.
Daniela Kroslak, Head of the United Nations Support Office in Haiti (UNSOH), outlined efforts to support the Force’s deployment and expansion through transport, communications, fuel, rations and medical support. Her Office is also strengthening logistical infrastructure, recruitment and coordination with BINUH. “We stand ready to receive and support additional contingents as soon as they are ready for deployment,” she added.
Condemnation of Ambush on Gang Suppression Force, Council Owes Haitian People ‘Better than Business as Usual’
El Salvador’s delegate condemned yesterday’s ambush of four Salvadoran aviation technicians of the Force outside Port-au-Prince by heavily armed criminal groups, who used firearms and explosive devices, setting the vehicle on fire. The helicopters deployed to provide support also came under attack. Efforts continue to establish contact with the technicians and to determine their whereabouts, she said, thanking all delegates for their solidarity. “This incident is a reminder of the serious risks faced by personnel contributing to international efforts to secure security in Haiti,” she said, calling on Council to protect those participating in these operations.
Echoing that condemnation was the United States’ representative, who — addressing the gang leaders directly — warned: “If you think that you are going to intimidate this coalition into retreat, you have made a terrible mistake.”
Armed thugs have robbed Haitians of their most basic freedoms — “working an honest job, walking their own streets and sending their children to school without fear” — and are now prepared to attack the international community, he said. “This Council owes the Haitian people better than business as usual,” he declared, recalling that the United Nations has sent missions to Haiti since 1993. Only last year did the international community begin pursuing something different: “A mission with teeth”, backed by “a coalition of the willing”. Yet, defeating gangs is only part of returning Haiti to its people, he observed, stating: “They are hungry for a normal life.”
Security Operations Alone Are Not Sufficient
Haiti’s delegate stressed that weapons and ammunition entering the country are “not made in Haiti”, urging full implementation of resolution 2831 (2026) to halt illicit arms flows. Despite investments in national security forces, “security operations alone will not be enough”, he acknowledged, calling for disarmament, reintegration and community-violence-reduction, including support for children recruited by gangs.
Reaffirming his country’s commitment to “free, credible, inclusive and transparent elections”, he invoked a Creole proverb: “Piti piti, zwazo fè nich” — little by little, the bird builds its nest. Haiti’s objective is not merely to contain violence, but to prevent its return and rebuild trust in State institutions.
Panama’s representative warned of retaliatory gang attacks against communities following security operations. “The security response cannot progress in isolation,” he stressed, calling for stronger Haitian institutions. Expressing concern over the use of drones in densely populated areas, he urged human rights safeguards and accountability.
More Action Needed to Stop Gang Violence, Sexual Abuse, Arms Trafficking
“The levels of sexual and gender-based violence in Haiti are atrocious,” declared the United Kingdom’s delegate, adding that nearly 700 women and girls reportedly suffered rape by gangs in July and August alone, with 87 per cent subjected to collective rape.
Picking up that thread, Mexico’s delegate urged protection for survivors of sexual violence. Noting that women’s representation among electoral candidates remains far below the legally mandated 30 per cent quota, he also called for stronger participation.
France’s representative warned that 5,700 people have been killed since the beginning of 2026, while 1.5 million are displaced and 5.8 million face acute food insecurity. With electoral delays threatening the political transition, he called for the Force’s accelerated deployment and tighter controls on illicit arms and drug trafficking. Urging travel bans and asset freezes against those financing criminal gangs, he stressed that “these individuals are known and must be held accountable”.
The Dominican Republic’s representative warned that the Force remains severely understrength, while violence spreads into rural areas and new departments. “Every contingent that arrives expands the territory that can be retaken; but every delay gives gangs time to regroup,” he stressed. Welcoming the Council’s six-month mandate renewal, he urged a longer extension in March to ensure predictable deployments and sustained operations.
Speaking for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis urged international partners to ensure that the Force “reaches full operational capacity in the shortest possible time” through troop contributions, airlift capabilities and essential equipment. Calling for a clear electoral timetable, she also urged Member States to disrupt the illicit arms flows and sources of support that serve as the “lifeline for criminal gangs”.
Denmark’s representative warned that child recruitment by gangs has surged by 200 per cent since 2025, prompting Latvia’s delegate to demand the immediate release of recruited children. Greece’s representative, Council President for October, speaking in her national capacity, called for strict enforcement of the arms embargo, and Pakistan’s delegate stressed that international forces cannot substitute for a strong Haitian National Police. Colombia’s representative urged stronger sanctions against political and economic actors profiting from illicit activities and corruption.
Importance of Inclusive Elections
Turning to the political transition, the representatives of Bahrain and China underscored the importance of inclusive elections, whereas the Russian Federation’s delegate cautioned against attempts to influence electoral outcomes. Speaking also for Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia’s representative stressed that “women, young people, persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons and communities affected by gang violence must be able to participate meaningfully”.
