The United States is confronting widespread international criticism following the emergence of disturbing images showing border patrol agents on horseback aggressively pursuing Haitian migrants near the Texas-Mexico border. The incident has sparked diplomatic protests and raised serious questions about America’s treatment of asylum seekers.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel launched a sharp critique via social media, posting photographs of the border operations with the pointed question: “Who spoke of Human Rights?” This sentiment was echoed by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, who characterized the treatment of Haitian migrants as demonstrating “racist contempt” among US border enforcement personnel.
The controversy centers around the Del Río sector where approximately 500 Haitian nationals had established a makeshift camp beneath the international bridge connecting Acuña, Mexico with Del Río, Texas. Following a significant border crossing attempt last Sunday, US authorities initiated mass deportations of the predominantly Haitian migrants.
The visual documentation of mounted border officers charging toward migrants triggered immediate international repudiation, with critics condemning the operation’s apparent brutality. Haiti’s state Office for Citizen Protection formally criticized the treatment and urged US authorities to collaborate with involved governments to develop humane solutions.
In response to the expulsions, a coalition of US-based Haitian lawyers announced plans to pursue legal action to halt what they characterize as summary removals that potentially violate asylum protocols.
The current migration surge stems from Haiti’s severe multidimensional crisis as the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. A combination of recent natural disasters, political instability following President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination, and pandemic-related economic collapse has created desperate conditions driving population displacement.
