International
Little progress three months after the arrival in Haiti of the Security Support Mission
Three months after its deployment began in Haiti, the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMAS) still does not give the expected results: there is no significant progress, violence continues to reign and 80% of the capital remains in the hands of armed gangs.
“Are the Kenyans in Haiti? We have never seen them, no one has seen them. They don’t pass through the area,” neighbors and merchants of Marchand Salomon, in the heart of the capital, tell EFE.
If things have improved, they say, “it is by the will of the bandits that they have decided to let us work properly. The bandits use the area as a passage zone” and add: “If the Kenyans had come to save us, we would all be dead. It’s not the Kenyans who prevent the gangs from killing us. If they wanted to, they would do it.”
Lean results
Some patrols in certain streets, some joint operations with the Haitian National Police in Centre-ville in Port-au-Prince or in the communes of Delmas and Ganthier, clashes with armed gangs that result in deaths. This is the balance sheet of the multinational mission so far.
When visiting Haiti last Saturday, Kenyan President William Ruto praised the merits of the force, said that he had seen much progress in the Caribbean country and said that doubts, criticism and pessimism were decreasing in the face of Kenya leading a mission that has the approval of the UN.
According to Ruto, there is much more security at the airport, the National Palace, the State University Hospital, the Police Academy and the ports and now work is being done to reopen the roads (“the work is difficult, but we are capable of doing it”), but more resources and equipment are needed: “The troops we have in Haiti are not enough.”
On the ground you can see a resounding lack of logistics, equipment, personnel. The force should have 2,500 officers, but there are just over 420 (400 Kenyans, 20 soldiers and 4 Jamaican policemen and two Belizean soldiers). About twenty countries have committed to send troops and Ruto announced that, between October and November, another 600 troops from Kenya will be in Haiti.
In those days William O’Neill, an independent expert on the human rights situation in Haiti, declared: “the equipment received is inadequate and the resources insufficient (…) I am sad to say that all the indicators are still extremely worrying. The first, and most worrying, is insecurity.”
The constant deterioration of security in Haiti
Only 28% of health services are functioning normally in Haiti, almost 5 million people suffer from acute food insecurity, there are at least 700,000 displaced people (more than half children) and security does not improve.
The Haitian Prime Minister, Garry Conille, recognizes it: “In the 100 days of this government, we have not yet seen important results (…) Especially in terms of security, but we have already laid the foundations. We have taken the time to design the national security strategy with the Police, the Army, the municipal security councils and the population.”
In view of this, the expert William O’Neill considers “crucial to suffocate the gangs by providing the Multinational Security Support Mission with the necessary means to be effective in supporting the operations of the Haitian National Police and applying the other measures provided for by the United Nations Security Council, in particular the sanctions regime and the selective arms embargo.”
Conille, for his part, assures that his government will not back down: “I have no doubt that together we will be able to restore security. We will help the displaced to return to their homes. We will reactivate our economy. We will make the necessary changes in our Constitution. And, finally, we will hold elections next year and there will be a new government on February 7, 2026.”
International
Pope Leo XIV to skip COP30 in Brazil but plans future visit, Lula confirms
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced that Pope Leo XIV will not attend the COP30 climate summit in Belém, but will visit Brazil “at the right moment,” following their meeting on Monday at the Vatican.
“I invited him to come to COP30, considering the historic importance of hosting a Climate Conference for the first time in the heart of the Amazon. Due to the Jubilee, the Pope told us he will not be able to attend,” Lula wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Although the pontiff will not be present at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference, he assured that the Vatican will be represented and confirmed his intention to visit Brazil in the near future.
“We were very happy to hear that His Holiness intends to visit Brazil when the time is right. He will be warmly welcomed with the affection, hospitality, and faith of the Brazilian people,” the president said.
Lula also congratulated the Pope on his first exhortation, Dilexi Te, which focuses on poverty, and emphasized that “faith cannot be separated from love for the poor.”
“I told him we need to build a broad movement of indignation against inequality, and I see this document as a reference that should be read and practiced by everyone,” Lula added.
International
Venezuela calls for continued global pressure to secure ‘just peace’ for Palestine
The Venezuelan government stated on Monday that international pressure “must continue” until a “just peace” is achieved for Palestine, as the official end of the war in Gaza is expected to be signed later today—an agreement that follows the release of surviving Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
In an official statement, President Nicolás Maduro’s administration emphasized that “the global popular mobilization, along with political and diplomatic pressure from the international community—including Arab and Muslim nations—has been decisive in paving the way for this peace process.”
The statement further urged that “such mobilization must continue until the full implementation of international law, particularly the United Nations Security Council resolutions that call for the withdrawal of occupying forces from territories invaded in 1967 and the establishment of the State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
The Venezuelan government noted that the agreement comes “after the near-total destruction of the Gaza Strip, where more than 65,000 people—mostly children, women, and defenseless civilians—were killed by the criminal bombings of Zionist occupying forces, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.”
“Venezuela maintains that true peace can only be achieved through the application of international justice, which must include the investigation and prosecution of war criminals and human rights violators responsible for the atrocities committed against the Palestinian people,” the statement concluded.
The peace accord is expected to be signed Monday in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. Neither Israel nor the Palestinian group Hamas will attend the ceremony, which will be attended by around thirty heads of state, government leaders, and representatives of international organizations.
International
Mexico reports 64 dead, 65 missing after devastating central region floods
The Mexican government reported on Monday that 64 people have died and 65 remain missing following the heavy rains that struck five central states between October 6 and 9. The storms left thousands affected and caused severe damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure across 111 municipalities.
According to Laura Velázquez, head of the National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC), the fatalities were distributed as follows: Veracruz (29), Hidalgo (21), Puebla (13), and Querétaro (1). The figures were confirmed during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s daily press briefing.
Velázquez also stated that 65 individuals are still unaccounted for in the states of Veracruz (18), Hidalgo (43), and Puebla (4). “We understand the population’s anguish and concern. Everyone will receive assistance. Cleanup operations will be carried out in full, with no resources spared,” President Sheinbaum assured.
The Civil Protection chief explained that the rainfall report from October 6 to 9 showed maximum precipitation levels on October 8 — 280 millimeters in Veracruz and 286 millimeters in Puebla — causing rivers and streams to overflow in surrounding areas.
The updated report also detailed 111 municipalities affected: Veracruz (40), Hidalgo (28), Puebla (23), Querétaro (8), and San Luis Potosí (12).
Since October 10, the Mexican government has been holding continuous emergency sessions in coordination with state authorities to address the crisis and provide relief to affected populations.
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