By Dimitry Charles, Juno7, May 21, 2025
During a hearing on Tuesday, May 20, before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for greater involvement of the Organization of American States (OAS) in the Haitian crisis. Noting the partial failure of the Kenyan-led multinational security support mission, Rubio argued that the OAS could play a leading role in restoring stability to the country, which is facing a worrying rise in armed gangs.
"If there's a regional crisis that an organization like this could help resolve, it's Haiti," the senator said, referring to the OAS's 1965 mission to the Dominican Republic. At the time, the organization deployed an inter-American peacekeeping force of more than 1,700 troops, under Brazilian and U.S. command, to end a civil war.
Rubio emphasized that the Trump administration is ready to support such an initiative, provided that other regional partners join in. He called for a mobilization of OAS member states, to which the United States is contributing significantly.
Despite this proposal, the OAS currently lacks the structural means to organize a military mission similar to that of the United Nations. Moreover, its image in Haiti remains tarnished by perceived interference in electoral processes, often under American influence.
Rubio also recalled his recent exchange with Kenya's Minister of National Security, which highlighted the logistical and financial challenges facing the Kenyan mission, particularly in relation to an expected $200 million in US funding. This payment, still under discussion as the June 1 deadline approaches, is considered essential to extending the mission until March 2026.
The senator praised Kenya's efforts but warned that: "This mission alone will not solve the problem." He urged the OAS to mobilize its members to develop a coherent and sustainable regional response.
Regional financial assistance remains virtually nonexistent. No Latin American or Caribbean country has contributed to the UN trust fund intended to support the Kenyan mission. On the ground, only four countries from the region—Jamaica, the Bahamas, Guatemala, and El Salvador—have sent small contingents to Port-au-Prince.
Posted May 22, 2025