Secretary of State Marco Rubio has suggested that the Organization of American States (OAS) could provide a “force” to help combat the ongoing gang violence in Haiti, where armed groups are inching closer to full control of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Speaking during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Tuesday, Rubio acknowledged that much of Port-au-Prince is already in the hands of gangs, and that the current multinational mission, led by Kenya and backed by the United States, is struggling to restore order.
The U.S. government is reportedly considering cuts to the funding that supports the operation in Haiti, which faces an uncertain future beyond March 2026. Rubio referenced the OAS as a potential solution to the deteriorating situation.
Although The Miami Herald reported that OAS involvement is not currently under consideration, Rubio discussed the idea publicly during the hearing.
“If ever there was a regional crisis that you would think an organization like this could step forward and provide a force or a group of countries that, working together, could help solve it, it would be the OAS,” Rubio said.
“We have a catastrophe in our own hemisphere right now in Haiti that we are seeking to come up with an alternative strategy, because the one in place right now isn’t working and Haiti is headed in a very bad direction very quickly,” he stated.
He clarified that the Trump administration was willing to play a leadership role, but emphasized that regional cooperation is vital.
“We do need buy-in from other partners in the region who are as affected, if not more so, by what’s happening there.”
The United States has until June 1 to determine whether it will continue funding the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MMSS) through March 2026.
“We are grateful to the Kenyans and to the mission, and we remain committed to it because they’ve done it at a great sacrifice and risk,” Rubio said. “That mission alone will not solve this problem.”
Despite U.S. calls for more involvement, no Latin American countries have offered financial support for the current mission. Rubio called for a reevaluation of regional commitments.
“We need to challenge some of our existing memberships to step up. Because you would think that one of the reasons why the OAS exists is to deal with a crisis like the one we have in Haiti.”
He also addressed broader regional security concerns, announcing that the U.S. is working with several federal agencies to stop the illegal flow of firearms from the U.S. to the Caribbean.
“We are working with several U.S. federal agencies to determine how to stem the flow of weapons leaving Miami in containers and arriving not only in Haiti, but also in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and elsewhere.”
