Potential US Participation in a Multinational Military Intervention in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE.— As Haiti seems on the brink, all eyes are once again turning to Washington. Many signs indicate that, under the aegis of the Trump administration, the United States could finally participate in a multinational military mission to support security.

Indeed, an article in the prestigious Financial Times states that the United States is seriously considering creating a multinational force, composed mainly of Latin American countries, specifically to intervene in Haiti. This plan, supported by the Trump administration, aims to replace the current mission led by Kenya, deemed ineffective against increasingly sophisticated and heavily armed gangs.

The British daily emphasizes that by placing this new force under the aegis of the Organization of American States (OAS), the United States would seek to circumvent the formalities of a UN Security Council often paralyzed by vetoes from China and Russia. This innovative approach could change the dynamic of the OAS, an institution with a diplomatic rather than military history.

A Latin American advisor in Washington expressed the Trump administration's skepticism regarding the current relevance of the OAS, while stressing that this organization needed to prove its usefulness in Haiti. The United States is ready to guarantee funding, while OAS member countries would commit to providing the necessary troops, President Trump hinted.

Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, Haiti has experienced a cruel spiral of violence, with over 85% of Port-au-Prince under gang control, according to United Nations estimates. The transitional administration, confined to a few areas of the capital, is finding it increasingly difficult to exercise any authority. Although the security mission led by Kenya received American financial support and the backing of other nations like Jamaica, Guatemala, and Belize, the arrival of 797 Kenyan police officers has not been enough to reverse the trend.

In this stalemate, the United States is beginning to turn to more experienced partners. Colombia, strong in its experience facing guerrillas, and Brazil, which led a previous UN mission in Haiti, are emerging as potential pillars of this new force. A meeting between Admiral Alvin Holsey, commander of the US Southern Command, and Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez, testifies to this desire to develop a multinational strategy.

Other countries, such as Argentina, are showing interest, albeit conditionally. However, a Latin American diplomat recalled that the OAS has neither the mandate nor the resources necessary for military operations. It is crucial that the OAS be integrated into the solution rather than becoming an obstacle. Furthermore, the United States must be prepared to assume the political cost of this intervention, as it did in 2004.