Haitian police retake national stadium from gangs after two years

Haitian security forces on Thursday took back the country's main stadium, Sylvio Cator, which criminal gangs had controlled for two years. The Haitian National Police said it had seized "full control" of the venue together with the Task Force, a private security group serving the government. The stadium was then left under the guard of Salvadoran soldiers. Salvadoran state-run television reported that its forces "took up position" there on Thursday.

The operation is part of the deployment of about 2,000 soldiers ordered by El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele. Last Tuesday he announced that his troops had destroyed the "headquarters" of 400 Mawozo, one of Haiti's main gangs. Haiti's prime minister has praised Bukele for the help.

Why Salvadoran forces are there

Bukele, who has gained attention for bringing gangs in El Salvador to heel but has been accused of human rights violations, ordered the contingent sent to rescue four Salvadoran soldiers. They went missing after an ambush on 18 October in Port-au-Prince. The four belong to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), a UN-backed multinational group, which distances itself from the actions of the troops sent on the rescue mission. Amnesty International has urged El Salvador to disclose the terms of its troop deployment in Haiti.

The stadium and football

The 10,000-capacity stadium fell into gang hands in 2024. Gangs control much of Haiti, the poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean. Because of the violence, the Haitian national football team had to play its World Cup qualifiers in Curaçao rather than at home. The team, made up almost entirely of players who do not live in Haiti, qualified for the 2026 World Cup but was eliminated in the group stage.