President Nayib Bukele says bodies recently recovered in Haiti are not the missing Salvadoran air technicians.
President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador recently addressed the status of four missing air technicians. These men disappeared after an ambush in Haiti. Armed criminal groups attacked their vehicle in the Croix-des-Bouquets region.
Also, an outside group handed four bodies to Salvadoran forces at a local airport. They claimed these remains belonged to the missing soldiers. However, President Bukele quickly disputed this claim.
Next, the president explained why the bodies did not match his men. One corpse was a child. Another wore a uniform from a different national army.
Furthermore, the president noted that one body was much taller than his technicians. He also found identification cards from Chad among the items. These belongings clearly did not belong to his team.
Meanwhile, the four missing men were part of a UN-supported group. This force aims to stop severe gang violence in Haiti. Their mission focused on medical evacuations rather than direct combat.
After the abduction, El Salvador sent hundreds of soldiers to Haiti. President Bukele stated their primary goal was to rescue the men alive. Military helicopters attempted to reach the area during the crisis.
However, intense fighting prevented the troops from accessing the site. No local gang has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping so far. The situation remains very dangerous for international forces.
Additionally, earlier reports suggested the recovered bodies were the missing soldiers. The New York Times previously stated the remains were badly burned. This made immediate identification difficult for the teams on the ground.
Finally, gang violence continues to plague Haiti. Thousands of people have died or suffered injuries this year alone. The country struggles with a power vacuum following its president's 2021 assassination.