A recent report by the United Nations revealed that gangs in Haiti were responsible for the deaths of at least 5,600 individuals in the past year. The report also highlighted that a further 3,700 people suffered injuries or were taken captive. Criticism has arisen towards the Biden administration for what some perceive as insufficient action in addressing the situation.
Andrés Martínez-Fernández, a senior policy analyst for Latin America at The Heritage Foundation, expressed his concerns, stating that the Biden administration’s approach to the crisis has been fragmented and politicized. The focus seemed to be on preventing escalation before the elections rather than seeking a resolution.
The State Department informed Fox News Digital that President Biden provided $629 million in financial aid and equipment to Haiti, with $600 million of the total already designated for this purpose. To put this into perspective, it was pointed out that Ukraine received over $113 billion in support from Congress.
“At the end of the day, it is a similar issue in both Ukraine and Haiti that our involvement does not seem to have a clear strategy underlying it,” Martínez-Fernández added.
The State Department defended its record and pointed to a joint operation on Dec. 15 by MSS and Haitian police that resulted in the death of a high-profile gang leader. But with violence surging, even the State Department admits that more needs to be done.
“Current personnel levels are clearly insufficient at restoring the rule of law and security to Haiti,” said the spokesperson, adding, “Given current challenges, however, the United States has backed the Haitian-led call for transitioning the MSS mission to a UNPKO (United Nations Peacekeeping Operation).”
Gang Leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier patrolling the streets with G-9 federation gang members in the Delmas 3 area on Feb. 22, 2024 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (Photo by Giles Clarke/Getty Images)
Martínez-Fernández said that is unlikely to happen. “There are significant challenges regarding its feasibility, especially due to the lack of approval in the Security Council. China, in particular, has strongly opposed such efforts and I anticipate they will continue to veto them.”
In the U.N. report, Türk renewed his call for the U.N. Security Council’s sanctions on Haiti and the arms embargo to be fully implemented to stop the flow of weapons into the country.
“Weapons flowing into Haiti often end up in the hands of the criminal gangs, with tragic results: thousands killed, hundreds of thousands displaced, essential infrastructure and services, such as schools and hospitals, disrupted and destroyed.”
