The United Nations (UN) has confirmed that a letter signed by Wilson Joseph, known as 'Lanmò San Jou', the top leader of the Haitian gang '400 Mawozo', has reached its hands. In the letter, the criminal leader requests the intervention of the international body following the deployment of a military contingent from El Salvador in the Caribbean country. However, the spokesperson for the secretary general, Stéphane Dujarric, has emphasized that the mere receipt of the letter does not imply any support for its content, nor does it imply recognition of its sender or establish an official position of the institution.
Through a statement, the representative of António Guterres has insisted on the deep concern of the United Nations over the consequences of the security crisis on Haitian communities, underscoring the urgency of promoting peaceful solutions to the conflict, guaranteeing the protection of the civilian population and strictly observing International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights in all operations on the ground.
Regarding the presence of foreign forces, the spokesperson's office has indicated that it is aware of reports on the reinforcement of troops sent by El Salvador. However, Dujarric has pointed out that "the vast majority" of Salvadoran military personnel do not operate under the umbrella of the Gang Suppression Force (GSF, by its initials in English), backed by an international mandate, so they fall outside the scope and notification obligation of the UN Support Office in Haiti, whose task is limited to providing logistical and operational support to the authorized forces within that framework.
The clarification from the United Nations comes after the letter sent by Joseph to the secretary general, António Guterres, in which the head of '400 Mawozo' -- for whom the United States offers a reward of one million dollars (about 890,000 euros) -- demanded the sending of a delegation to open a channel of dialogue after the arrival in Haiti of more than 2,000 Salvadoran soldiers.
The Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukele, ordered the deployment of that contingent with the specific mission of locating and rescuing alive four Salvadoran air technicians kidnapped after an ambush suffered by the GSF, emphasizing that his country does not lead an "occupation mission", although he warned that its forces are ready to respond firmly against the gangs if the hostages are not released.