Scoop: El Salvador blasts U.S. State Dept. over Haiti gang war
State Department officials have quietly raised objections to El Salvador's gang-fighting efforts in Haiti — even as President Trump has offered his full support, according to diplomatic notes and informed sources. On Monday, El Salvador issued a formal rebuke that questioned the "credibility" of the top U.S. diplomat in Haiti. Why it matters: The controversy exposes the tension between Trump's…
El Salvador has denounced the United States State Department over its criticism of the country's gang-fighting efforts in Haiti, according to diplomatic notes and informed sources. The dispute highlights the conflict between President Trump's MAGA foreign policy objectives and the professional diplomatic establishment at the State Department.
Haiti, plagued by corruption and gang violence, has seen a UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) supported by various nations, including El Salvador. On October 18, four Salvadoran aviation technicians were captured by gangs during a medical evacuation mission. In response, President Nayib Bukele deployed special forces to Haiti, with the full support of President Trump.
Tensions arose after a gang attack on a Salvadoran convoy near the U.S. embassy on October 31, followed by Salvadoran attack helicopters repelling gang assaults on GSF soldiers from Chad on November 3. On November 5, the U.S. embassy in San Salvador sent a formal protest to El Salvador's government, accusing the country of lacking coordination with the GSF and endangering GSF troops and civilians.
El Salvador denied these claims, stating that its troops were firing away from the embassy and that none of its soldiers were casualties.
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