A bipartisan group of Florida lawmakers recently publicly called on the US national government to intervene in Haiti's worsening security crisis.
The lawmakers’ call responds to the Haitian government’s failure to successfully combat gangs that have seized control of large parts of the country.
Representative Maria Elvira-Salazar (R-FL) is leading the calls, and she recently spearheaded the drafting of a letter to State Department Secretary Marco Rubio demanding the US intervene in Haiti.
“Haiti is on the verge of total collapse—with violent gangs just steps from the National Palace,” said Representative Salazar. “I joined my colleagues in Congress in sending a letter to Secretary Rubio, urging the U.S. to lead with hard security solutions to stop the chaos and restore order in the country.”
Haiti has been periodically rocked by gang violence in recent years, but gang violence has reached unprecedented levels in recent years.
Some Republican lawmakers have persistently urged the US government to calm the situation and eradicate the gangs through military intervention.
Democrats under former President Joe Biden’s leadership rejected Republican calls for direct US involvement, choosing instead to indirectly assist Haiti by supplying aid and helping secure the support of a few hundred Kenyan security forces to assist in combating the gangs.
Such efforts failed, however, as the latest estimates indicate that Haitian gangs have advanced to control around 85% of Port-au-Prince, the nation’s capital.
Now, Democrats and Republicans have joined in requesting the US government to “act decisively” to ensure Haiti’s security.
“To prevent the situation from deteriorating any further, I am joining my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in calling on the U.S. Department of State to respond immediately,” said Democrat Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL).
Representative Cory Mills (R-FL), who previously led efforts to rescue stranded Americans in Haiti, similarly urged the US government to intervene in the worsening crisis.
“I stand with my colleagues to urge Secretary Rubio to take a leading role in restoring stability in Haiti,” said Representative Mills.
