Bukele announces operational base at Haiti’s main stadium after military takeover

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele announced plans to establish an operational base at Haiti’s Sylvio Cator Stadium after Salvadoran troops and Haitian security forces regained control of the facility.

In a post on X written in Haitian Creole, Bukele said the operation involved Salvadoran troops, the Haitian National Police, the Haitian Armed Forces and the government-backed Task Force.

The Salvadoran leader also reported that several human skulls were found inside the stadium. He said the new base would allow security forces to advance further into territories controlled by armed gangs.

“Now, we are the ones with the advantage on the ground,” Bukele said, warning gang members to leave the area before an offensive begins. He added that those who remain to fight security forces would face the consequences.

The Haitian National Police had previously announced that the operation had recovered the stadium, which had been under gang control since 2024, along with its surrounding areas. Salvadoran forces were subsequently assigned to secure and consolidate the recovered territory.