In a bid to strengthen its security forces amid spiraling gang violence, Haiti has sent 150 soldiers to Mexico for specialized training.
The group departed Port-au-Prince on Thursday and is expected to undergo a three-month intensive course designed to bolster the Caribbean nation’s fight against criminal groups.
The deployment marks the first phase of a broader initiative that will eventually see 700 Haitian troops receive training in Mexico.
Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé described the move as a critical step in the government’s long-term strategy to stabilize the nation.
“It illustrates the government’s firm determination to restore republican order, reinstate state authority throughout the country, and ensure the protection of every citizen,” a government statement said.
The program underscores Haiti’s ongoing efforts to restore security, rebuild weakened public institutions, and create conditions for credible elections.
Mexico, drawing on years of experience combating powerful drug cartels, will provide the Haitian troops with training despite its own struggles to contain violence, homicide rates in the country remain stubbornly high.
Back home, Haiti continues to reel from relentless gang attacks that have devastated communities and claimed thousands of lives.
The United Nations estimates that more than 80% of Port-au-Prince is under the control of armed groups, with nearly 1.3 million people forced to flee their homes.
Despite multiple appeals for global support, international efforts to stabilize the country have delivered limited results.
A multinational security support mission, led by Kenyan police officers and backed primarily by the United States, arrived last year. However, violence persists and has spread beyond urban centers.
Since the MSS’s arrival, armed groups have increasingly moved into rural territories, including the vital Artibonite agricultural zone.
According to the UN, recent assaults in that area have displaced an additional 15,000 people.
