In a commentary published on November 13, 2026, Basic Optimism asserted that international institutions have repeatedly failed Haiti by relying on financial pledges, conferences, and non-governmental organizations rather than enforcing physical security. Basic Optimism stated that despite Haiti receiving billions of dollars, thousands of NGOs, and a thirteen-year United Nations mission, local gangs steadily expanded their control because schools, clinics, and food distribution networks cannot function when armed criminals control roads and shoot at civilians. The account argued that functioning nations recognize that order depends on armed forces, contrasting traditional foreign aid approaches with the actions of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who bypassed international conferences to deploy soldiers directly against the gangs.
According to Basic Optimism, the military intervention placed local gangs on the defensive within two weeks, prompting residents who had lived under gang domination to march in the streets to thank Bukele. The commentary noted that critics in the aid industry often label such enforcement methods dangerous, countering that conventional aid strategies had previously left 1.5 million people homeless. Basic Optimism described its publication as an effort to restore common sense and basic institutional principles to Western policy discussions, emphasizing that establishing personal safety is the foundational prerequisite upon which all other humanitarian aid and civil development depend.
Reporting by Breitbart corroborated the demonstrations in Haiti, reporting that hundreds of citizens marched through Port-au-Prince, Jérémie, Thomonde, Mirebalais, and Jacmel to express gratitude to Bukele and support for more than 2,000 Salvadoran troops deployed in the country. Demonstrators carried banners thanking Bukele, chanted slogans describing the gangs' fear of his forces, and urged intensified security operations after years of gang violence and displacement. Breitbart also reported that Salvadoran Vice President Félix Ulloa stated Salvadoran troops have achieved tangible security progress in areas such as Croix-des-Bouquets at a fraction of the expenditure of multinational efforts, with all operational expenses covered directly by El Salvador.