Haiti: Canada sends armored vehicles amid violence


The coordinated expedition was planned as part of a joint operation with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the US Air Force. Global Affairs Canada issued a statement on Saturday evening confirming that the joint delivery of armored vehicles from the Canadian and American military has arrived in Haiti.

“Today, Canadian and American military aircraft arrived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to transfer vital security equipment purchased by the Haitian government, including tactical and armored vehicles, and supplies to the Director General of the National Police of Haiti (PNH),” said the statement reads.

The statement, released by Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and National Defense Minister Anita Anand, said the equipment is intended to assist the Haitian National Police against “criminal actors who foment violence and disrupt the flow of much-needed humanitarian aid, hampering efforts to stop the spread of cholera.

The federal government says Canada will work with other international partners to help law enforcement in Haiti train more police. The statement did not indicate whether additional police tools such as firearms and bulletproof vests were included in the shipment. Canada’s Ambassador to Haiti, Sébastien Carrière, also said Twitter they will not release vehicle numbers or models so as not to expose the information to gangs nationwide.

“Canada and the United States commend the international community for mobilizing new commitments to meet Haiti’s most pressing needs, and we urge international partners to honor these commitments. We encourage partner countries to contribute to the United Nations Common Fund to restore peace and citizen security for the Haitian people. Together with the government of Haiti, Canada and the United States affirm the importance of working together to support the restoration of security in Haiti,” the statement read.