Central American troops arrive in Haiti to fight gangs (75 Guatemalans+ 8 Salvadorans)

DrNoob

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From https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/central-american-troops-arrive-haiti-fight-gangs-2025-01-03/

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Jan 3 (Reuters) - A contingent of security forces from Guatemala and El Salvador arrived in Haiti's capital on Friday to reinforce a long-delayed United Nations-backed mission tasked with restoring security amid a bloody conflict with armed gangs.
The new arrivals were made up of 75 Guatemalans and eight Salvadorans, a communications officer for the mission said.
The president of Haiti's transitional presidential council, Leslie Voltaire, alongside Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime and U.S. Ambassador Dennis Hankins, welcomed the troops at Port-au-Prince's airport, Haiti's interim government said in a post on social media.

"They have come to reinforce the Multinational Force in the fight against gangsters and guns in the country," the government said.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo had in September pledged to send 150 military police, three months after initially pledging in a letter to the U.N. an unnumbered contingent alongside personal equipment.
El Salvador had in August promised 78 soldiers for medical evacuation operations as well as three helicopters - much needed by Haitian security forces contending with mountainous terrain and highways scattered with gang-controlled checkpoints.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who has garnered broad popularity over a harsh crackdown on organized crime in his home country including the use of mass trials and construction of a "mega-jail", has stated that he would be able to "fix" Haiti and that its gangs must be "obliterated."
The mission is being led by Kenya, which deployed nearly 400 police in the middle of last year, far short of the 1,000 it had promised. The police were later joined by 24 Jamaican personnel and two senior officers from Belize.

However, the mission has failed to prevent gangs from taking new territories and committing several massacres as violence dramatically escalated in the last months of 2024, causing thousands more people to flee their homes.
Haiti's national police have meanwhile shed thousands of officers in recent years.
Some 10 countries have together pledged over 3,100 troops for Haiti, but few have so far deployed.

I do not know what impact they have. The optimist in me hopes they do have some good impact, the realist in me prays that they get to return home safely
 

Father Guido

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Even though I have become somewhat of an isolationist, I believe the USA has responsibilities in the Western Hemisphere, especially with the rampant over immigration of Haitians to the USA because of the incessant problems in this so-called country; we need to deploy the "82nd" to permanently clean up this mess; just the threat of the 82nd "dropping in" caused Raoul Cédras to step down in September of 1994 to restore Aristide to the presidency. It actually should be France doing this but we all know that won't happen.
 

windeguy

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Even though I have become somewhat of an isolationist, I believe the USA has responsibilities in the Western Hemisphere, especially with the rampant over immigration of Haitians to the USA because of the incessant problems in this so-called country; we need to deploy the "82nd" to permanently clean up this mess; just the threat of the 82nd "dropping in" caused Raoul Cédras to step down in September of 1994 to restore Aristide to the presidency. It actually should be France doing this but we all know that won't happen.
My home county has enough to worry about keeping it's borders patrolled. And it did try (Clintons etc) and it was realized Haiti has no fix.
Focus on the USA border is the best fix for the USA while deporting all illegal aliens if they sneak through or overstay illegally.

Some things cannot be fixed, and Haiti is one of those things. The USA will stay away from further attempts, leving it for others to inevitably fail.
 
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Father Guido

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My home county has enough to worry about keeping it's borders patrolled. And it did try (Clintons etc) and it was realized Haiti has no fix.
Focus on the USA border is the best fix for the USA while deporting all illegal aliens if they sneak through or overstay illegally.

Some things cannot be fixed, and Haiti is one of those things. The USA will stay away from further attempts, leving it for others to inevitably fail.
who said anything about fixing, this would be more like 'preventative maintenance'; we'd be out in a month, eliminating as much gang activity as possible; right now the USA has approximately 160,000 personnel stationed outside the USA, bring back at least 80,000 and station them mostly the southern border, that would be a huge help
 

drstock

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My home county has enough to worry about keeping it's borders patrolled. And it did try (Clintons etc) and it was realized Haiti has no fix.
Focus on the USA border is the best fix for the USA while deporting all illegal aliens if they sneak through or overstay illegally.

Some things cannot be fixed, and Haiti is one of those things. The USA will stay away from further attempts, leving it for others to inevitably fail.
Always Mr Positive.
 

Ecoman1949

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Even though I have become somewhat of an isolationist, I believe the USA has responsibilities in the Western Hemisphere, especially with the rampant over immigration of Haitians to the USA because of the incessant problems in this so-called country; we need to deploy the "82nd" to permanently clean up this mess; just the threat of the 82nd "dropping in" caused Raoul Cédras to step down in September of 1994 to restore Aristide to the presidency. It actually should be France doing this but we all know that won't happen.
Interesting reference to France playing an active role in the Haitian intervention. Macron has his hands full trying to cobble together a centrist left coalition government to counter the far right political gains in the recent general election. He just nominated a new Prime Minister who may or may not have the political ability to assume the position. Haiti is the last thing on Macron’s mind, if it’s on his mind at all. Macron may be history soon.

France washed their hands of Haiti and left it to its own fate a long time ago. It’s a shame really because there is a French Foreign Legion Regiment , highly trained in jungle warfare and terrorist tactics based in French Guyana, not that far away from Haiti. They are the type of game changers the Haitian intervention needs. Properly trained, equipped and battle hardened with proper ground and air support.

The newly arrived Central American contingent wont change the inevitable in Haiti. It may delay it but it won’t stop it. Assuming US funding ends with Trump’s inauguration, the end is near.
 

Ecoman1949

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who said anything about fixing, this would be more like 'preventative maintenance'; we'd be out in a month, eliminating as much gang activity as possible; right now the USA has approximately 160,000 personnel stationed outside the USA, bring back at least 80,000 and station them mostly the southern border, that would be a huge help
Won’t happen. What just happened in New Orleans and Las Vegas is an omen of further terrorist activities to come during Trump’s administration. Fanatics with fanatical ideals are wild cards, unstoppable for the most part. You can kill them but their fanatical beliefs live on and others are waiting in line to be crusaders. US military counter terrorist operations in foreign countries are necessary to limit their impact on US home turf. No way will you see a 50% cut and certainly not to assist in the Haitian intervention.

More border agents will be hired for the Southern border, more sophisticated tracking technology will be at their disposal, and they will be allowed to do what they should be doing. Tracking and capturing illegals and sending them back.
 
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windeguy

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who said anything about fixing, this would be more like 'preventative maintenance'; we'd be out in a month, eliminating as much gang activity as possible; right now the USA has approximately 160,000 personnel stationed outside the USA, bring back at least 80,000 and station them mostly the southern border, that would be a huge help
Fine no fixing in Haiti. And no going to Haiti either with money or personnel because that is a waste of effort. There is nothing that can be done that the USA can make better there. It isn't like Haitians have an easy way to the US border. Those that do have money to get to South America can simply be stopped at the USA border.

As for securing the USA border, I say do whatever it takes with whomever it takes to do so. That would be better than paying for wars in other countries or trying to fix Haiti. I would not put one US citizens life in danger in Haiti to fight the gangs there.
 
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Ecoman1949

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Fine no fixing in Haiti. And no going to Haiti either with money or personnel because that is a waste of effort. There is nothing that can be done that the USA can make better there. It isn't like Haitians have an easy way to the US border. Those that do have money to get to South America can simply be stopped at the USA border.

As for securing the USA border, I say do whatever it takes with whomever it takes to do so. That would be better than paying for wars in other countries or trying to fix Haiti. I would not put one US citizens life in danger in Haiti to fight the gangs there.
Windy. It’s interesting to note that the number of migrants travelling via the Darian Gap have dropped to half since last year. Understandable because thats one hell of a trip for a person to take. Haitians seeking refuge illegally in the US have other options. The US coastline is large and there is a lot of container ship traffic between the US and major Caribbean ports. High speed boats carrying drugs are capable of carrying illegal migrants. Human trafficking is very lucrative for the transporters.

As I previously posted, if or when the intervention ceases and the gangs start taking retribution, there could be a mass of Haitians seeking refuge in the DR, the US, or Canada. All three countries should be ready.
 

windeguy

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Windy. It’s interesting to note that the number of migrants travelling via the Darian Gap have dropped to half since last year. Understandable because thats one hell of a trip for a person to take. Haitians seeking refuge illegally in the US have other options. The US coastline is large and there is a lot of container ship traffic between the US and major Caribbean ports. High speed boats carrying drugs are capable of carrying illegal migrants. Human trafficking is very lucrative for the transporters.

As I previously posted, if or when the intervention ceases and the gangs start taking retribution, there could be a mass of Haitians seeking refuge in the DR, the US, or Canada. All three countries should be ready.
I personally don't see what happens in Haiti that as any issue at all for the USA or Canada. Not at all.
Haitians would have to have money to be trafficked by boat and that is not going to happen in any numbers, so no worries
on that for North America. Enforcing the laws in the US recently is a big reason for the drop already happening. Trump will hopefully do much more.

The DR being walkable is another story and only time will tell on that.
 

Fulano2

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Guatemalans & El Salvadorian men average like 5'-4" and 125 pounds - they won't hold much sway in a street struggle
I don’t think that is that important. Not all SAS are giants for example (look at McAleese for instance) nor the Gurkha’s.
When the last group arrived at the Falklands the Argentine solders left the islands crying for mammie.
 

Father Guido

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Interesting reference to France playing an active role in the Haitian intervention. Macron has his hands full trying to cobble together a centrist left coalition government to counter the far right political gains in the recent general election. He just nominated a new Prime Minister who may or may not have the political ability to assume the position. Haiti is the last thing on Macron’s mind, if it’s on his mind at all. Macron may be history soon.

France washed their hands of Haiti and left it to its own fate a long time ago. It’s a shame really because there is a French Foreign Legion Regiment , highly trained in jungle warfare and terrorist tactics based in French Guyana, not that far away from Haiti. They are the type of game changers the Haitian intervention needs. Properly trained, equipped and battle hardened with proper ground and air support.

The newly arrived Central American contingent wont change the inevitable in Haiti. It may delay it but it won’t stop it. Assuming US funding ends with Trump’s inauguration, the end is near.
I like that idea of the French Foreign Legion; it just happens that the unit based in French Guiana, '3e REI', 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, is the most decorated regiment of the French Foreign Legion.
 

Big

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Even though I have become somewhat of an isolationist, I believe the USA has responsibilities in the Western Hemisphere, especially with the rampant over immigration of Haitians to the USA because of the incessant problems in this so-called country; we need to deploy the "82nd" to permanently clean up this mess; just the threat of the 82nd "dropping in" caused Raoul Cédras to step down in September of 1994 to restore Aristide to the presidency. It actually should be France doing this but we all know that won't happen.
Sir Guido, right on!! the 82nd could quash the situation in 72hours. The problem is 72 hours after they left it would be the same.
 

Father Guido

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Sir Guido, right on!! the 82nd could quash the situation in 72hours. The problem is 72 hours after they left it would be the same.
I agree in principle that you are never going to solve the problems of this country, and it would take an interdiction whenever necessary, but if this type of operation is done right, it could take years for the gangs to fully reconstitute; it would be a good training exercise, and we need to recycle equipment and ammunition at times also
 
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Big

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I agree in principle that you are never going to solve the problems of this country, and it would take an interdiction whenever necessary, but if this type of operation is done right, it could take years for the gangs to fully reconstitute; it would be a good training exercise, and we need to recycle equipment and ammunition at times also
indeed!
 

CristoRey

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Even though I have become somewhat of an isolationist, I believe the USA has responsibilities in the Western Hemisphere, especially with the rampant over immigration of Haitians to the USA because of the incessant problems in this so-called country; we need to deploy the "82nd" to permanently clean up this mess; just the threat of the 82nd "dropping in" caused Raoul Cédras to step down in September of 1994 to restore Aristide to the presidency. It actually should be France doing this but we all know that won't happen.
As an American taxpayer, hell no we don't.
 
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Ecoman1949

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I like that idea of the French Foreign Legion; it just happens that the unit based in French Guiana, '3e REI', 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, is the most decorated regiment of the French Foreign Legion.
They go to French Guiana to train for jungle warfare ops. They’re still volunteers from many countries. A lot of them have committed petty crimes, left their families behind or failed to fit in to regular society. People who committed blood crimes are not accepted anymore.

Like the Marines, they are the first to go and the last to know except the Marines fight for their country and legionnaires fight for the Legion. The French don’t admire their regular forces but they love their Foreign Legion. Every Bastille Day, the French Armed Forces parade down the Champs Élysées. Only the legionnaires get applause. Possibly because they attempted to assassinate the President of France when he granted Algeria independence after the legion sustained heavy losses defending France interests during the war.

Sending them to Haiti might be a double edged sword. They would decimate the gangs but Haitians might perceive it as more French oppression. France’s economy is not booming at the moment and the last thing Macron wants to do is spend large sums of money supporting the legion in Haiti. Their stay would be a long one.