US President Donald Trump stated that he spoke with his Salvadoran counterpart, Nayib Bukele, about the situation in Haiti, where the Salvadoran government maintains a military deployment with the stated objective of locating and rescuing four airmen captured in an ambush.
Asked by a journalist whether he had spoken with Bukele about Haiti, Trump replied: "Yes, I did speak. He said he has a big problem with Haiti."
The US president said that he conveyed to Bukele that he had to resolve the situation according to his own judgment. "I told him: look, you're the one who governs your country. You have to do what you have to do," he said.
Trump also spoke about the situation of members of the Salvadoran forces. "You had a big problem with Haiti. They killed some of his men," he said.
When the journalist asked whether assistance to El Salvador had been considered, the president responded: "He doesn't need help. He's in pretty good shape," the US president said.
Bukele said the mission seeks to recover four airmen
Nayib Bukele's government went from a medical assistance mission to an operation that, according to the information released, includes more than 2,000 Salvadoran soldiers, helicopters, armored vehicles, and international logistical support.
Bukele stated that the presence of the Armed Forces of El Salvador in Haiti is not seeking to establish a…
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The U.S. president backed the Salvadoran operation but ruled out sending assistance. El Salvador deployed troops, attack helicopters, and armored vehicles to recover its men captured in an ambush. (Courtesy video)U.S. President Donald Trump said he spoke with his Salvadoran counterpart, Nayib Bukele, about the situation in Haiti, where the Salvadoran government is maintaining a military deployment with the stated goal of locating and rescuing four aviation technicians captured in an ambush. Asked by a reporter whether he had spoken with Bukele about Haiti, Trump replied: "Yes, I did speak with him. He said he has a big problem with Haiti." The U.S. leader said he told Bukele that he had to resolve the situation according to his own judgment. "I told him: look, you're the one who governs your country. You have to do what you have to do," he said. Trump also addressed the situation of members of the Salvadoran forces. "You had a big problem with Haiti. They killed some of his men," he said. When the reporter asked whether providing assistance to El Salvador had been considered, the U.S. president replied: "He doesn't need help. He's in pretty good shape." The Salvadoran president confirmed Trump's words on his social media following the interview with the reporter from the U.S. television network. The U.S. leader revealed a conversation with the Salvadoran president, and Nayib Bukele confirmed it. (Screenshot from Nayib Bukele)Nayib Bukele's government has moved from a medical assistance mission to an operation that, according to information released, includes more than 2,000 Salvadoran military personnel, helicopters, armored vehicles, and international logistical support. Bukele said the presence of the Armed Forces of El Salvador in Haiti is not intended to establish an occupation or an indefinite stay. According to his explanation, the deployment aims to recover four military technicians held after an ambush. The U.S. leader revealed details of his conversation with the Salvadoran president about the military deployment on Haitian territory. He also ruled out that El Salvador needs outside assistance to resolve the situation. (Courtesy photo)The Salvadoran leader said El Salvador knows how to deal with criminals of that kind and that the withdrawal of troops will depend on the release of the four Salvadorans. "If they hand over the four aviation technicians tomorrow, we will leave that very same day in the afternoon," he declared during a press conference at the Presidential House. Bukele warned that his government will resort to force if the captors do not hand over the four members of the Air Force alive. "If they don't hand them over the easy way, then we'll rescue them the hard way," he said. The president specified that the announced objective of the mission is not to dismantle the Haitian gangs, although he anticipated that his troops will respond if those groups block the rescue. "If they stall, they will be more and more finished off each time, because we're not going to go knock on the door and ask: 'May we come in?'" he said. Nayib Bukele clarified that the deployment seeks to rescue four aviation technicians held after an ambush. REUTERS/Jose CabezasBukele also rejected that his deployment includes bombings. "Bombs? Our mission doesn't even have bombs," he said, refuting an NGO that accused the Salvadoran government of carrying out that operation in the country. The leader compared Haiti's criminal structures with the gangs that operated in El Salvador before the state offensive driven by his administration. He noted that both scenarios present differences, although he maintained that there are similar methods of operation among the groups. The Salvadoran government specified that this massive movement of troops is being carried out in direct coordination with the Haitian prime minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. The authorities in San Salvador insisted that the arrival of the troops does not constitute an invasion, but rather a targeted effort to rescue their missing compatriots and provide security assistance to an allied nation amid the severe institutional and public order crisis it is facing.