Haitian police announced on Thursday that they have reclaimed control of Stade Sylvio-Cator in Port-au-Prince after two years under gang occupation.
The principal stadium of the country previously hosted home matches for the national soccer team before persistent violence forced the squad into exile abroad. International fixtures had to shift to Curaçao during recent World Cup qualifiers.
The facility was inaugurated in 1953 and holds approximately 10,000 spectators. Armed groups seized control of the venue in 2024 as criminal organizations expanded their footprint across the Caribbean nation.
Salvadoran Military Operations in Port-au-Prince
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele confirmed Thursday in a publication on X written in Haitian Creole that security forces will establish an operational base inside the stadium.
“We will now establish an operational base in the stadium to continue our advance into the heart of the territories controlled by the gangs,” Bukele said in his post on X.
The head of state said that military units would launch an offensive and issued a warning to armed groups in the area. “Those who choose to remain to fight our forces will have to bear the consequences,” Bukele said on X.
Video footage accompanying the announcement showed armored vehicles and soldiers entering the sports arena. Sequences depicted gunfire directed outside the perimeter alongside human skulls discovered among debris.
Deployment Outside United Nations Framework
An Agence France-Presse photographer confirmed that Salvadoran soldiers secured the site on Thursday. El Salvador’s public television network also reported that troops took positions inside the compound.
The operation aligns with a broader deployment of roughly 2,000 soldiers ordered by Bukele. The deployment began in late October, operating outside the mandate of the United Nations-supported Gang Suppression Force.
On Tuesday, the Salvadoran leader reported that his troops had destroyed the headquarters of 400 Mawozo, identified as one of the country’s primary criminal organizations.
World Cup Qualification Context
Despite playing home fixtures abroad due to domestic instability, the national soccer squad secured qualification for the global tournament. Head coach Sébastien Migné led the team known as the Grenadiers to their second World Cup appearance.
Related reading
