Rubio wants to see the 2,000 Salvadoran soldiers leave Haiti as soon as possible

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that Washington wants a swift departure for the approximately 2,000 Salvadoran soldiers deployed in Haiti. According to his statements, the United States is taking action on the ground to prevent any clashes between the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) and Nayib Bukele's men. They are also more actively searching for the four Salvadoran technicians who have been missing since October 18.

Four Salvadorans still missing

Marco Rubio is talking about finding these four individuals and getting them out of the country. He did not specify whether they are alive, and nothing in the available information indicates that they are.

Charred remains have already been handed over to the authorities, in a move attributed to certain international actors. Nayib Bukele immediately rejected them. He asserted that they could not be those of his men, noting in particular the presence of a child and people of different heights.

A risk of friendly fire

Marco Rubio raised the possibility that members of the GSF and Salvadoran soldiers could fire on each other, each mistaking the other for gang members. He advocated for a "deconfliction mechanism" and for strengthened coordination between the two forces.

According to sources close to the US administration, Marco Rubio had already ruled out the idea of making El Salvador a proxy for the United States to pacify Haiti. He preferred, according to these same sources, to "keep Haiti off the radar."

A visit to El Salvador planned

Prime Minister Fils-Aimé is preparing for a trip to El Salvador on November 16 and 17. He is scheduled to discuss the future of the Salvadoran deployment in Haiti there. The available information does not say what Fils-Aimé thinks of the withdrawal timeline mentioned by Marco Rubio.