El Salvadoran President Nabil Bukele issued a statement to the Haitian people on social media, stating that the deployment of Salvadoran troops and equipment in Haiti is nearing completion. He emphasized that the operation is not aimed at the Haitian people or intended to invade the country; its sole objective is to rescue four Salvadoran aviation technicians kidnapped by gangs and to combat armed gangs that threaten the Haitian population. Bukele stated that El Salvador is bearing approximately 90% of the operation's costs, receiving only limited logistical support from other countries, and stressed that El Salvador will not derive any economic benefit from the operation. All troops will be withdrawn upon completion of the mission. According to a Reuters report on October 29, El Salvador has deployed approximately 2,000 troops to Haiti, with the final number expected to not exceed 2,500. The operation began on October 18 after four Salvadoran nationals went missing following a gang ambush near Port-au-Prince, prompting Bukele to announce the launch of a military rescue operation.
