Port-au-Prince, Haiti.- Over 75 Guatemalan soldiers arrived in Port-au-Prince on Saturday to support Haitian police in combating gang violence, raising the total number of Guatemalan troops deployed to around 150. These forces are part of the UN-backed, Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM), which has struggled with limited resources and escalating violence by armed groups controlling 85% of the capital, according to the UN.
Haiti continues to grapple with severe gang violence and political instability. Recent incidents include the December 24 killing of two journalists and a police officer during a gang shootout near a hospital and the massacre of over 200 individuals in attacks orchestrated by a gang leader earlier in the month. The violence has also disrupted key infrastructure, such as Port-au-Prince airport, which was forced to suspend commercial traffic in November.
Haitian authorities have urged the UN Security Council to upgrade the MSSM into a fully-fledged UN peacekeeping force. However, this proposal, backed by the United States, faces opposition from China and Russia. Guatemala joined the coalition following an agreement announced on December 13, reinforcing international efforts to stabilize the impoverished Caribbean nation.