President Andrés Manuel López Obrador celebrated this Monday that the Secretary of the Navy has carried out a successful rescue operation, managing to remove 34 nationals who were at risk from Haiti. due to the political crisis and violence that is shaking the Caribbean island.
Among those rescued are 24 men, 10 women, four officials from the Mexican Embassy and seven minors, reported the Mexican Foreign Minister, Alicia Bárcena, at the morning press conference at the National Palace.
The operation was carried out on Sunday, using a helicopter due to the closure of Haiti's airport, which has been closed for almost a month. The rescued compatriots will be transferred to the port of Progreso, in the southeast of Mexico, this Monday.
Bárcena explained that the Navy Secretariat ship moved to nearby waters of Haiti to carry out the rescue operation, given the impossibility of entering or leaving the country by air.
The crisis in Haiti has intensified since February 29, when armed groups united to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who is currently in the United States and has expressed his willingness to resign once a council is formed. transitional presidential.
The Presidential Council, charged with leading the transition, has promised stability and a return to democratic legitimacy in Haitibut the security situation in the country remains precarious, which motivated the decision to repatriate Mexican citizens.
According to Bárcena, a survey was carried out among fellow citizens in Haiti to determine who wanted to return to Mexico, this being a preventive measure to guarantee their safety in the context of instability on the island.
Rescue of Mexicans from Haiti
The Secretariats of Foreign Affairs and the Navy (Semar) reported that, in a joint effort, an evacuation operation was carried out for 34 Mexican nationals from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in the midst of the growing insecurity crisis in the Caribbean country. .
The decision was made by President López Obrador to safeguard the integrity of Mexicans in the face of the escalation of violence and the difficult socioeconomic situation facing Haiti.
The operation was directed by the head of the SRE, Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, and Secretary Admiral Rafael Ojeda Durán, in response to the worsening of insecurity in Haiti, characterized by the presence of organized crime groups, generalized violence, food shortages and basic services, as well as economic paralysis.
The evacuation was carried out in two flights by an MI-17 helicopter of the Ministry of the Navy, from a heliport at the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Port-au-Prince, to the ARM ship “Isla Holbox” (BAL-02) of the Semar. , which heads to the port of Progreso, Yucatán.
From there, the compatriots will be transferred to different cities in Mexico, where they will be received by their relatives or acquaintances.
He andambassador of Mexico in Haiti, Daniel Cámara Ávalosand embassy staff participated in the coordination and preparation of the evacuation, ensuring that those Mexicans who expressed their willingness to return were identified and ready to be transferred safely.
This operation is carried out in a context where armed groups have control over the Toussaint Louverture International Airportpreventing civilians from leaving the country.
In addition, there have been violent acts such as seizures of prisons and threats to paralyze the country, which has increased the urgency of the evacuation.
The SRE and Semar pointed out that Mexico reaffirms its commitment to participate in international efforts to find a solution to the crisis in Haiti, condemning the acts of violence that compromise the institutions and the rule of law in the Caribbean country.
Mexico launched a call Haitian authorities and political actors to prioritize the best interest of the nation and work together to restore order, peace and securityas well as moving towards holding elections and reestablishing democratic institutions.
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