Haitian Foreign Minister Raina Forbin represented her country at the 30th Ibero-American Summit in Madrid on November 4 and 5, using Haiti's associate-observer status to pursue bilateral support. Her meetings concentrated on security, elections, training and the economic links needed for a broader recovery.
Forbin told Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar about the government's work on security and elections and asked that Colombian training cooperation continue, particularly in agriculture. The two sides also identified potential work on trade, investment and air and maritime connectivity.
Bula said Colombia was streamlining its diplomatic network but insisted that the reorganisation did not reduce its commitment to Haiti. That assurance matters because institutional retrenchment can otherwise be read as political disengagement when Haiti is seeking sustained technical partnerships.
With Salvadoran Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill Tinoco, Forbin focused on armed criminal groups and the security mission in Haiti. She also expressed solidarity after four Salvadoran military aviation technicians disappeared following an attack on the Gang Suppression Force.
Hill reaffirmed President Nayib Bukele's commitment to support Haitian security for as long as local authorities consider it necessary. The ministers agreed to exchange practices on organised crime, protection of children exposed to gangs and disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration.
Forbin also met Ibero-American Secretary-General Andrés Allamand to align regional cooperation with projects identified by Haiti's government. Allamand said he would mobilise member states behind those priorities, turning the secretariat into a potential coordinator rather than a substitute for bilateral aid.
The Madrid meetings gave Haiti access to several channels but no immediate solution to its security crisis. Forbin's result will depend on whether training, connectivity, child protection and reintegration commitments receive budgets, timelines and responsible agencies after the summit declarations end.
