PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC)— The government of the Central American nation of El Salvador on Wednesday approved sending a military contingent to Haiti to assist in medical evacuation operations as part of the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MMAS).

The decision passed with 57 of 60 votes in the Congress, which is largely controlled by President Nayib Bukele’s Nuevas Ideas party; three opposition deputies abstained from voting.

According to Director of Legal Affairs at the Salvadoran Foreign Ministry, Patricia Aguilera, the mission involves a Salvadoran Armed Forces contingent operating under the United Nations’ (UN) “blue helmet” framework to conduct medical evacuations.

This initiative follows an agreement signed between El Salvador and Haiti within the Organization of American States (OAS) to safeguard the legal rights of participating state parties, contractors, and personnel.

Aguilera noted that the initial contingent’s focus on medical evacuations aligns with the Salvadoran forces’ experience in prior UN missions, ensuring a structured and legally secure participation in Haiti.