Bukele Denies Salvadoran Troops Bombed Civilians in Haiti, Questions NGO That Made the Claim
El Salvador's president rejects claims that his troops bombed Haitian neighborhoods. His response also targets the group that made the accusation.
Key points
- Bukele said Salvadoran attack helicopters arrived in Haiti on October 29 and had not yet flown any missions.
- The UNA-Haiti complaint alleged bombings from October 22 in Croix-des-Bouquets and Canaán.
- More than 2,000 Salvadoran soldiers are searching for four comrades missing since October 18.
El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele on Saturday rejected accusations from a Haitian organization that Salvadoran forces deployed in Haiti had bombed civilians. The operation aims to locate four soldiers who went missing after an ambush by armed gangs.
In a post on X, Bukele questioned the claims. "Bombs? Our mission doesn't even have bombs at its disposal," he wrote. He also denied that any airstrikes or gunship operations had taken place.
The president said Salvadoran attack helicopters arrived in Haitian territory on October 29 and had not taken part in any mission as of Saturday. According to Bukele, the letter from the Association of United Nations-Haiti (UNA-Haiti) to UN Secretary-General António Guterres was published on October 28, one day before those helicopters arrived.
The complaint alleged attacks since October 22 in the Haitian neighborhoods of Croix-des-Bouquets and Canaán. Bukele also said UNA-Haiti is not officially part of the UN but an advocacy group linked to the Haitian diaspora, and he accused some NGOs of acting in favor of criminal groups. So far, the accusations and the Salvadoran government's response have not been independently verified.
The operation in Port-au-Prince began after the October 18 ambush of members of the Gang Suppression Force (GSF). Since then, Salvadoran soldiers have patrolled areas of Tabarre and near Toussaint Louverture International Airport in combat gear, carrying assault rifles and riding armored vehicles, with helicopter support. The fate of the four soldiers remains unclear.
Bukele defended the operation, saying El Salvador has experience fighting criminal structures, referring to its security measures.