Central American troops arrive in Haiti to reinforce mission to restore order

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Some 150 military police officers from Central America have started arriving in Haiti to reinforce the embattled government’s fight against violent gangs that have upended daily life for millions on the Caribbean island.

The first deployment of 75 troops from mostly Guatemala and a small number from El Salvador was greeted Friday at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince by top Haitian authorities, security officials and the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti, Dennis Hankins. A second, similarly sized contingent was expected to arrive Saturday and join the United Nations-backed mission that for months has been struggling to restore order.

Coordinated gang attacks on prisons, police stations and the main international airport have intensified in Haiti since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Gangs are estimated to control about 85% of the capital.

In what is perhaps the most brazen attack yet, gunmen o pened fire on a crowd that gathered on Christmas Eve for the much-anticipated reopening of Haiti’s biggest public hospital, which was closed after being rampaged by gangs earlier this year. Two journalists covering the event and a police officer were killed.

Prior to this week’s deployment, the international mission seeking to quell the violence was led by around 400 security officers from Kenya. Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin and Chad have also pledged personnel although it isn’t clear when they would be sent.

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The Associated Press