The political turmoil in Haiti has escalated to a critical point, with the nation’s prime minister agreeing to resign amid pressure from gangs. However, amidst this crisis, misleading social media posts are adding to the confusion.
One such post on Instagram purported to share a screenshot from CNN’s official X account, claiming that Kenyan President William Ruto had reportedly called President Joe Biden to organize the purchase of World War II-era amphibious landing crafts for a naval invasion of the Haitian coast.
Kenya’s U.S.-backed Haiti Plan (Credits: Semafor)
The post misspelled Ruto’s title and provided a fabricated statement allegedly from CNN’s X account. However, CNN spokesperson Emily Kuhn clarified that the post was fabricated and not something CNN reported or posted on its X account.
The screenshot did not match the appearance of CNN’s official X account, and there were no records of such a post in CNN’s archives. Additionally, there were no credible reports from other publications about Kenya seeking to use U.S. vessels to invade Haiti.
Kenya’s U.S.-backed Haiti Plan (Credits: Semafor)
In reality, Kenyan President William Ruto announced plans for a United Nations-backed multinational police force to help address gang violence in Haiti, but there was no mention of naval vessels.
The claim of CNN reporting on Ruto’s call to Biden for a naval invasion of Haiti is false. The claim circulating on social media is false and lacks credibility, contributing to the misinformation surrounding the crisis in Haiti.
