President Nayib Bukele has gained fame around the world for making El Salvador safer—albeit in a deeply vexing(令人烦恼的) way. Leaders from Latin America trek(长途跋涉) to see the mega-prison in which he has locked up thousands of men accused of being in gangs, often without due process(正当程序). Even domestic critics acknowledge that his round-ups(围捕行动) have improved everyday life for most people. But now Mr Bukele wants to go further. Since October 22nd he has deployed over 2,000 Salvadoran soldiers to gang-ridden(黑帮肆虐的) Haiti. He has warned its gangs (in Haitian Creole(海地克里奥尔语)) that he can “finish with you too”.
总统纳伊布·布克尔因让萨尔瓦多变得更安全而闻名世界——尽管方式令人深感不安。拉美各国领导人纷纷前往参观那座巨型监狱，他在那里关押了数千名被指控加入黑帮的男子，往往未经正当程序。就连国内批评者也承认，他的围捕行动改善了大多数人的日常生活。但如今布克尔想走得更远。自10月22日以来，他已向黑帮肆虐的海地部署了2000多名萨尔瓦多士兵。他用海地克里奥尔语警告当地黑帮，他也能“把你们一并了结”。
Haiti has slumped(陷入) into appalling(骇人的) chaos since its last elected president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated(遭暗杀) in his bedroom in 2021. Gangs control most of the capital, Port-au-Prince, as well as some areas outside it. At least 16,000 Haitians have been killed during the anarchy(无政府状态); 1.5m have been displaced(流离失所) (see chart). Two years ago Mr Bukele boasted that he could sort the mess out(收拾烂摊子).
自2021年海地最后一位民选总统若弗内尔·莫伊兹在卧室遇刺以来，该国便陷入骇人的混乱。黑帮控制了首都太子港的大部分地区以及城外一些区域。在这场无政府状态中，至少1.6万海地人丧生，150万人流离失所（见图表）。两年前，布克尔曾夸口说他能收拾这个烂摊子。
A pretext(借口) emerged on October 18th when four Salvadoran aviation technicians serving in Haiti as part of a UN-backed “Gang Suppression Force” (GSF) were ambushed(遭伏击) and disappeared. Although they are probably dead—bodies purported to be those of the Salvadorans were handed over for testing on October 24th—Mr Bukele says he is mounting a rescue mission.(尽管他们很可能已经死亡——10月24日，据称是这些萨尔瓦多人遗体的尸体被移交检测——布克尔仍表示他正在发起营救行动。) Few believe that finding lost comrades(战友) is his sole aim, given what he has said about Haiti before, and the number of men he has sent. The Salvadoran force in Haiti now outnumbers(数量超过) all the soldiers serving with the GSF, who are drawn from six countries including Chad and Guatemala.
10月18日出现了一个借口：四名作为联合国支持的“帮派压制部队”（GSF）成员在海地服役的萨尔瓦多航空技术人员遭伏击后失踪。尽管他们很可能已经死亡——10月24日，据称是这些萨尔瓦多人遗体的尸体被移交检测——布克尔仍表示他正在发起营救行动。鉴于他此前关于海地的言论以及此次派兵规模，很少有人相信寻找失踪战友是他唯一的目的。目前萨尔瓦多在海地的兵力已超过GSF所有士兵的总和，后者来自乍得、危地马拉等六个国家。