Sylvio-Cator: Haitian police retake the stadium and hand it to Salvadoran forces

The Haitian National Police (PNH) say they have retaken "total control" of the Sylvio-Cator stadium and the surrounding area in central Port-au-Prince, in an operation carried out with the Task Force early on Thursday morning, November 12.

Once the area was retaken, the PNH say they handed control to Salvadoran forces, which are "taking over" to secure the sector. It is the first time the police themselves have announced the presence of Salvadoran troops at the national stadium.

Armored vehicles on the pitch

Salvadoran soldiers took up positions at the stadium on Thursday with more than twenty armored vehicles and trucks, according to a source close to the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd'H), which were already deployed in the area. Aerial photos released by the PNH show a line of armored vehicles parked on the pitch, below the stands.

Videos shared on Thursday also show Salvadoran armored vehicles and troops at the Champ de Mars, heading toward the stadium. Salvadoran forces are reportedly considering setting up a base there, according to press reports. Neither Haitian nor Salvadoran authorities have confirmed it.

The police gave no toll for the operation. They did not say whether there were clashes, arrests or casualties.

A contested Salvadoran presence

The roughly 2,000 Salvadoran soldiers deployed in Haiti are at the center of a diplomatic debate. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said he wants them to leave as soon as possible. Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé is expected in El Salvador on November 16 and 17 to discuss the future of the troops.

Sports ministry pledges to rebuild

The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action (MJSAC) welcomed the recapture of the stadium in a statement on Friday, November 13. It called it "a decisive step" toward restoring order and reclaiming the capital's civic and sports spaces.

The ministry says it is already working on restoring the stadium. The government pledges a full rehabilitation, but only once the area is secure and life has returned to downtown. The statement gives no date and no budget.