Hostage release is proof the US cavalry is not coming to Haiti
Whether or not 12 captured North American missionaries escaped or were intentionally let go by their Haitian captors after a hefty ransom was allegedly paid is up for discussion days after their release.
But one thing appears to be clear: the cavalry, namely the U.S. government, did not rescue the American and Canadian missionaries kidnapped two months ago by a powerful Haitian gang. Hard to believe.
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In fact, the abduction and now the return home of the hostages says plenty about U.S.-Haiti relations: There is a lack of respect brewing.
Here’s proof: the release of the missionaries seems to have surprised the FBI agents, who had been in Haiti since the abduction offering guidance to Haitian authorities as the gang negotiated with relatives of those held captives. The missionaries were found wandering on a mountain with no obvious help from the outside. More telling is the abduction of the American citizens in the group in the first place. American victims have always been off-limits to Haitian gangs, and it appears that is no longer the case.
The U.S. government is obviously losing its diplomatic hold on the island. But does it care? Maybe not. Already influential gangs have steadily taken over new sections of the capital after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July. They appear to be becoming the de facto government, aggravating Haiti’s already acute economic crisis and giving more fuel to Haiti’s political crisis.
Haiti’s government has asked for U.S. military assistance or some time of U.S. or UN intervention. The request was rejected in Washington, which has since said its recruiting other countries like France, the United Kingdom and Canada to help.
Brian Nichols, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere, recently implied to journalists that Haiti’s problems do not require outside intervention.
“I think there’s broad agreement that the security situation in Haiti is a policing challenge, and it’s not a military challenge,” Nichols told reporters.
Great. As we said, the cavalry is not coming to Haiti.
— The Miami Herald
