Haiti Visit: Salvadoran PM to Discuss Military Role

Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé will meet with El Salvador's government next week in San Salvador. The trip aims to resolve questions about the ongoing military presence of Salvadoran troops in Haiti. A Salvadoran official confirmed the schedule to The Associated Press on Monday.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. It remained unclear if Fils-Aimé would meet directly with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. The visit arrives as Bukele has intensified his campaign against Haitian gangs. At least 2,500 Salvadoran forces are currently operating in the Caribbean nation.

The offensive began in October following an attack that left four Salvadoran aviation technicians missing. Since then, Bukele has portrayed himself as a leader combating crime in Haiti. Gangs control large portions of Haitian territory and maintain deep ties with the country's political elite. On Sunday, a joint operation by Haitian police and Salvadoran soldiers destroyed the home of Wilson Joseph, the leader of the 400 Mawozo gang.

Haitian media first reported the destruction of the house, and Damian Merlo, a lobbyist for the Salvadoran government, confirmed the details. Joseph, also known as Lanmò San Jou, was not killed in the raid. Gang leaders frequently move between multiple safe houses. Two days before the operation, Bukele posted on X asking for the exact address of Joseph's home in Haitian Creole. He wrote that he would destroy it if given the location.

Joseph previously told The Associated Press that the four missing Salvadorans were dead and had been attacked in the territory of the Chen Mechan gang. The Salvadoran government has maintained that the technicians are alive. Merlo stated that the troops operate under an agreement signed by both governments. He described this as either a status of forces agreement, which defines legal rights for foreign military, or a memorandum of understanding for broader military cooperation.

Fils-Aimé responded to scrutiny last week by stating that Salvadoran forces support the Haitian government in its fight against gangs. The Haitian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. Details regarding the operations have been limited, leading to concerns about the legality of the mission and its potential to escalate violence in the region.