Haitians Take to the Streets to Thank Nayib Bukele and El Salvador's Troops

Hundreds of Haitian citizens over the weekend marched through the streets of Port-au-Prince and other towns to express their support for President Nayib Bukele and the Salvadoran troops deployed to the country to fight the deadly local gangs. Over 2,000 Salvadoran troops remain deployed in Haiti since late October to support an ongoing U.N.-endorsed security operation against the nation’s deadly gangs. President Bukele deployed the additional troops in response to the ambush and disappearance of four Salvadoran aircraft technicians, who remain missing since October 18. Bukele has threatened to “destroy” the gangs should the four missing men not be safely returned. The Spanish news agency EFE detailed that numerous Haitians who have been victims of the rampant gang violence that engulfed the nation marched on Friday to express their gratitude to Bukele and to request that the Salvadoran president intensify operations against the deadly gangs. Per the news agency, some of the protesters held up banners with messages thanking Bukele, while others chanted, “Lè yo wè Bukele, kè yo sote” during the demonstration, which translates to “When they [the gangs] see Bukele, they get scared.” Similarly, other participants chanted, “Rele Bukele pou mwen, m ap mouri,” which translates to “Call Bukele for me, I’m dying.” A woman who participated in the Port-au-Prince rally reportedly stated amid tears that she had been kicked out of her house by the gangs. “I used to run a business and was able to send my children to school, but they stole everything from me, even my underwear, and I fled naked with my children,” the unidentified woman said. Another woman told EFE that the gang violence forced her to abandon her residence in August 2023 and she has been living at a refugee camp since then. The woman detailed that the gangs have burned down homes and thrown people to the streets “like dogs.” “Bukele, Haiti belongs to you. If you don’t speed up the operations, we’ll die. You must keep going until you eradicate the gangs, until you destroy those evil people who have killed our children and are killing our husbands,” the other woman reportedly said. Per Le Nouvelliste, similar demonstrations took place in the towns of Jérémie, Thomonde, Mirebalais, and Jacmel. Throughout the peaceful protests, the newspaper detailed, some of the participants denounced the Haitian authorities and accused them of having “done nothing” to fight the Haitian gangs over the past years. The Brooklyn-based Haitian Times noted that some among the participants expressed that they have lost confidence in the local authorities and are instead “placing their hopes” in Bukele and the deployed Salvadoran forces — calling for the president to “unlock the country” and intervene in gang-controlled communities. “The administration has weakened all the institutions that have power, such as the police and the army,” Haitian police officer Samuel Joasil reportedly said. “Now we feel vulnerable. So if a foreign force comes to support us, I am ready to stand with it and support it in any way I can.” Hours before Friday’s pro-Bukele demonstrations in Haiti, the Salvadoran president published four pieces of video footage showing some of the deployed troops as they marched through the streets of Port-au-Prince. Bukele accompanied the videos with a brief message in Haitian Creole that translates to, “It seems the gangs don’t want to fight us.” The four ambushed Salvadoran aircraft technicians — who remain missing at press time — are part of the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), the U.N. Security Council-authorized mission that aims to reduce gang activity in Haiti after years of rampant violence. Last week, the U.N. clarified that the “vast majority” of the deployed Salvadoran troops are not part of the GSF and therefore fall outside its scope and reporting. The Haitian prime minister is reportedly expected to visit El Salvador between November 16-17 to participate at an international conference. According to statements issued by El Salvador’s Vice President Félix Ulloa, both sides will discuss the future of the deployed Salvadoran troops. Ulloa reportedly detailed to EFE on Friday that the deployed troops have made strides in areas of Croix-des-Bouquets, a commune northeast of Port-au-Prince, and the location where the missing personnel were ambushed. “So, as we’ve moved into the area, we’ve been cleaning it up, and that’s what the Haitian people and the Haitian government are observing with great satisfaction and high hopes,” Ulloa said on Friday. Ulloa also reportedly ruled out that El Salvador seeks to replace the United Nations’ GSF, as it is a multinational force, but affirmed that the Salvadoran forces have “much more tangible results” while only investing “one hundredth of what the United Nations has invested on Haiti.” Ulloa, however, stated to EFE that he does not know the total cost of El Salvador’s military operation, but assured that all of its expenses are being covered by the Salvadoran government. Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. 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