A Haitian police operation backed by Salvadoran troops reportedly killed 20 people on 8 November. El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele said on 10 November that the 400 Mawozo gang’s headquarters was destroyed. Amnesty International calls for the countries to disclose the troops' deployment terms and oversight.
A Haitian police operation supported by Salvadoran troops killed 20 people in Croix-des-Bouquets, near Port-au-Prince, on 8 November, Al Jazeera reported. Separately, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele said on 10 November that the operation destroyed the headquarters of 400 Mawozo, one of Haiti’s largest gangs, and the house of its leader Lanmo San Jou.
The operation followed the disappearance of four Salvadoran members of the UN-authorized Gang Suppression Force during an October 18 ambush. Bukele initially said the deployment was intended to bring them home; El Salvador has since sent about 2,000 troops to Haiti. Bukele has more recently hinted at a broader goal of eliminating Haitian gangs.
In 2022, 400 Mawozo’s control of Croix-des-Bouquets extended to its prison, voting station and the only route connecting Port-au-Prince to northern Haiti.
The vast majority of recently deployed Salvadoran personnel are outside the Gang Suppression Force and the monitoring mechanisms of the United Nations Support Office in Haiti, Amnesty International said, citing a UN spokesperson.
Amnesty’s Americas director, Ana Piquer, called on both governments to publish the deployment agreement and explain oversight, rules on the use of force, accountability and how people can report possible violations without fear of reprisals. She also called for prompt, independent and impartial investigations into all allegations of human rights violations, fair trials for those suspected of criminal responsibility and reparations for victims.
Piquer warned that operations near homes, schools and hospitals could increase risks for communities. She urged measures to protect lives, prevent forced displacement and ensure access to food and medical care.
Haiti’s Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime plans to visit El Salvador in the week following 10 November to discuss the future of Salvadoran troops in Haiti.
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