By Breaking Belize News Staff: “We have already wiped out the gangs in El Salvador, and we can wipe you out too.”
That was the stern warning issued by El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele on Wednesday to Haitian gangs holding four Salvadoran military personnel hostage, as he announced the launch of combat operations to rescue them.
In a public statement on Facebook, Bukele warned the kidnappers that the military action launched on Wednesday was nothing compared to what would follow if the four Salvadorans were not released alive.
“Don’t confuse our words with an empty threat,” Bukele declared, giving the gangs an ultimatum to release the men unharmed or face further military action.
The four Salvadorans, identified as aviation technicians participating in a United Nations-backed international security mission in Haiti, disappeared on Sunday, October 18, after armed gangs ambushed their armoured vehicle near Croix-des-Bouquets, outside the capital, Port-au-Prince.
According to Reuters, the attackers opened fire and used explosives, setting the vehicle ablaze. The Salvadorans reportedly escaped the burning vehicle but have not been located. Helicopters dispatched to assist in the rescue also came under fire.
Bukele stressed that the missing men were not combatants but aviation specialists whose mission involved conducting medical evacuations and saving lives. He said they were returning from purchasing food at a local supermarket when they were abducted.
The Salvadoran president, whose sweeping crackdown on gangs has dramatically reduced violent crime in his country, warned that he was prepared to take similar action against Haiti’s powerful criminal organisations.
Haiti has been battling heavily armed gangs that control large portions of its capital, with an international Gang Suppression Force deployed to support Haitian authorities in restoring security.
Bukele ended his warning by telling the kidnappers that they still had an opportunity to avoid further bloodshed.
“Hand over our four compatriots, safe and sound, and everything will return to how it was before their kidnapping. The decision is in your hands.”
As of Wednesday, the four Salvadorans had not been confirmed rescued, and no gang had publicly claimed responsibility for their abduction.
The headline uses a natural English translation of Bukele’s Spanish statement, “Ya acabamos con las pandillas en El Salvador y podemos acabar con ustedes también.” His published English version uses “finished with” rather than “wiped out,” but the meaning is consistent.
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