A new team of U.S. Marines has been sent to Haiti to help protect the American embassy, the U.S. military said Wednesday, a day after the country’s prime minister announced his resignation following months of rising unrest and gang violence.
The U.S. Southern Command said in a statement that a fleet-anti-terrorism security team, known as FAST, was deployed to the embassy in the nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince, which has been at the center of the chaos and civil disorder.
The Marines are in the beleaguered Caribbean nation to “maintain strong security capabilities at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and conduct relief in place for our current Marines, a common and routine practice worldwide,” the statement said.
The statement added that the embassy remains open, although only limited operations continue, including “supporting Haitian-led efforts to secure a peaceful transition of power.”
A spokesperson said that “U.S. Southern Command is prepared with a wide range of contingency plans to ensure the safety and security of U.S. Citizens in Haiti.”
The U.S. military initially flew in forces on Sunday to airlift nonessential personnel out of the country, in a procedure that was described as standard practise.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry said Tuesday he would stand down once a transitional government — agreed at a meeting of Caribbean leaders and the U.S. on Monday — was appointed.
No timeframe was given for the transition and Henry remains prime minister, although he is in Puerto Rico and unable to return to Haiti after armed gangs calling for his resignation took control of major airports.
The military statement said that the U.S. Department of Defense has doubled its funding for a multinational security mission in Haiti and was working with Kenya and other partners to “restore security in Haiti.” Additional support could include planning, information sharing, airlifts and medical support, it said.
While the departure of Henry was a key demand of the…
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