Santo Domingo.- Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares reaffirmed this Tuesday Spain’s commitment to the stability of Haiti, which has been mired for years in a multifactorial crisis, aggravated by the violence of armed gangs.
“What we want for Haiti, of course, and we are working together with the Dominican Republic, is firstly for all the gangs to disappear, secondly the stability of the country, and thirdly its development,” said Albares in statements to the Spanish press during his official visit to the Dominican Republic, Haiti’s neighbor.
Spain “is going to be there. We are one of the few countries in the world that has never closed its embassy, that has maintained it. Our cooperation has always tried to work whenever possible”, pointed out the Spanish diplomat, who previously met with his Dominican counterpart, Roberto Álvarez, at the Dominican Chancellery, and with whom, he assured, also addressed the Haitian crisis.
“Spain has been present and will be again” in Haiti, which has a new Gang Suppression Force (GSF), whose first contingents arrived at the beginning of this month and which will have uniformed personnel from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Spanish diplomat recalled that two years ago, when another multinational force was considered to help the stability of Haiti, Spain spoke of an economic contribution and participation in the police field.
Now, the mission deployed in the depressed country is not “exactly the same” as the one that was discussed then, but “in any case, Spain, as on previous occasions, is willing to participate in both ways,” he affirmed.
Haitian armed gangs have expanded their domain this past year beyond Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, towards the departments of Centre and Artibonite, amid high levels of violence between gangs, security forces, private companies, and “self-defense” groups.
Between March 1, 2025 and January 15 of this year, there have been 5,519 deaths and 2,608 injuries, according to official figures.
