Milenio, a prominent Mexican newspaper, recently highlighted the extraordinary achievements of El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele in rescuing the country from the clutches of gangs. The publication commends Bukele for not only breaking away from the bipartisan system during the 2019 presidential elections but also successfully tackling gang-related issues, transforming public security and making El Salvador the safest country in the region.
The article recalls the challenging times El Salvador faced due to a high homicide rate, particularly during the second government of the FMLN, led by the now-fugitive ex-president Salvador Sánchez Cerén. Milenio reports that the country recorded 103 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015, with the figure steadily decreasing to 2.4 violent deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. Security experts attribute the rise of criminal groups to various factors, including poverty, corruption, and alliances with Mexican cartels.
Investigations by the Attorney General’s Office and the National Civil Police revealed that in 2012, the first FMLN government, led by Mauricio Funes, initiated a pact with gangs known as the truce, endorsed by the Organization of American States (OAS). However, subsequent investigations exposed that the weapons handed over during the truce were non-functional, and the Funes government granted privileges to gang leaders in exchange for a reduction in homicides.
The truce failed, concluding with the end of the last FMLN government on June 1, 2019, the same day Nayib Bukele assumed the presidency for the 2019-2024 term. In his first month in office, Bukele implemented the Territorial Control Plan (TCP) to combat gangs and organized crime.
«The government of Nayib Bukele successfully transformed El Salvador, a nation of around 6 million people marked by poverty and gang presence, into a model country admired by many,» stated the Mexican newspaper.
President Bukele reinforced his security policy on March 27, 2022, with the constitutional measure of a state of emergency, primarily supported by the parliamentary group of Nuevas Ideas, of which Bukele is now the presidential candidate for the 2024-2029 term.
With both security strategies, Bukele’s presidency has achieved 537 days without homicides, including 424 days under the state of emergency. Furthermore, over 75,000 gang members have been apprehended. These remarkable security results have garnered admiration for the Salvadoran president throughout the region.
«Across Latin America, presidents and presidential hopefuls are tempted to adopt security models similar to El Salvador’s,» noted the Mexican newspaper. Ecuador and Honduras have already implemented states of emergency to combat criminals, and the Costa Rican government, led by Rodrigo Chaves, is seeking to emulate the successful security policies implemented by Bukele.