Because of the political vacuum in our country, we continue to rely on other nations to solve our crises. Bukele is taking advantage of that vacuum to make the first move, positioning his military as a regional force and asserting his influence beyond El Salvador.
In the meantime, we are celebrating El Salvador for doing something we have been waiting for the United States to do. But the question is whether Bukele will succeed where the MSS failed and where the GSF and Erik Prince are failing.
More importantly, does Bukele have a plan to succeed, or is he acting out of emotion? If he has a plan, how long has it been in place? Was this intervention already under consideration, or is it a reaction to recent events?
Yes, we can be happy that someone finally has the balls to declare that he can eliminate the gangs. But shouldn’t we question why it took four Salvadorans going missing for the world to decide that something needed to be done? And I say the world because we all know that Bukele is not acting alone.
For what it’s worth, Bukele has become one of the most important figures in Haiti’s current crisis. He is not only positioning El Salvador as a regional military force that the United States could rely on for future deployments in the Caribbean, but he is also strengthening his diplomatic relationship with Washington.
And while we celebrate the possibility of someone finally taking decisive action against the gangs, we should not lose sight of the bigger picture. Haiti’s political vacuum has created an opportunity for other countries to advance their own strategic interests while claiming to solve our problems.
For the Haitian diaspora, this should be more than a wake-up call. It should be a call to organize and act.
We cannot continue criticizing Haiti’s political leadership for creating a vacuum while failing to recognize the influence we have to help fill it. We have Haitian Americans serving in the U.S. military, working in government, leading businesses, and contributing to institutions that shape American policy. Yet our collective influence remains far below our potential.
This is precisely where the Haitian American Voices Political Action Committee (HAVPAC) and the Haitian American Veterans Council of Organizations (HAVCO) have a role to play.
Through HAVPAC, we can turn political participation, legislative advocacy, and community engagement into influence over the policies that affect Haiti. Through HAVCO, we can mobilize the leadership, military experience, strategic knowledge, and professional networks of Haitian American veterans to contribute to Haiti’s security and institutional development.
Together, these organizations can help bridge the gap between the Haitian diaspora, American decision-makers, and the institutions responsible for Haiti’s future.
We cannot complain that foreign governments are making decisions about Haiti while refusing to organize ourselves to influence those decisions.
The political vacuum in Haiti will not remain empty. Someone will fill it, and whoever fills it will advance their interests. The question for the Haitian diaspora is whether we will continue watching others determine Haiti’s future or organize ourselves to have a seat at the table.
HAVPAC and HAVCO offer two avenues for doing exactly that. But organizations are only as influential as the people willing to participate in them.
If we want a voice, we must build the influence to make that voice matter. Join us. Get involved. Help us turn the Haitian diaspora from a community reacting to decisions into a force influencing them.
Bobb Rousseau