I cleaned it off with an old toothbrush and Dawn soap, dried it, and super glued it, knowing full well it would just break as soon as I tried to reinstall the operating pin. Then I filled the void between the ears with Goop brand silicone. It stays flexible, and is waterproof. Because it was broken, I waited long after it cured (I gave it 24 hrs) before reinstalling the bar, hearing the tiny crack as the ear broke off again. But everything stayed in place. I'm not waiting for another one to break and I'm doing this with every door lock actuator as I go through them just as a precaution. Pics of the next one I did preemptively (right rear) are below for an example.
I have it clamped to reattach the cover after the motor mod here, but you can see the white plastic part at the center of the pic.
And here filled with silicone. Since this one wasn't broken to begin with, I only gave it about 45 minutes to cure. It just needed to be firm to put it all back in. I figure this strengthening measure will likely keep it from breaking indefinitely.
Hopefully this saves someone else from buying a latch assy.