After a recent visit to El Salvador, Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater and international security consultant, shared his field observations on the significant security improvements under President Nayib Bukele. During an appearance on the «Off Leash with Erik Prince» podcast, Prince provided an in-depth look at El Salvador’s transformation from a gang-ridden country to one of the safest in the region.
El Salvador, once plagued by rampant gang violence primarily driven by the infamous MS-13, has seen a remarkable turnaround since Bukele’s first election in 2019. Prince attributed this success to Bukele’s aggressive law enforcement policies, including a massive crackdown on gang activity. As a result, the country’s murder rate has plummeted, and citizens now feel safer in their everyday lives.
A New Model of Security
Prince highlighted the critical role of the government’s new high-security prison, capable of holding 40,000 gang members. The facility’s stringent security measures, including full-body x-rays, extreme isolation protocols, and the removal of gang hierarchies, have broken the gangs’ control over the population. According to Prince, this prison has become a symbol of Bukele’s no-tolerance approach to crime.
“President Bukele went to war with the gangs,” Prince remarked. “His administration has rounded up nearly 70,000 gang members, equivalent to 1% of the population, and locked them away, effectively dismantling their control over the country.”
U.S. Response and Lessons Learned
Prince was quick to contrast El Salvador’s approach with that of the United States, where he believes a softer stance on crime has allowed gang culture to thrive. He suggested that U.S. prisons could learn from El Salvador’s model, emphasizing the need to make prisons places of deterrence rather than havens of comfort for criminals.
He also criticized the lack of support from the U.S. government for Bukele’s efforts. “El Salvador received no financial aid or advice from the U.S.,” Prince noted. Despite this, the country has made significant strides, showing that effective governance can make a difference even without external help.
He also referred to recent statements where President Trump mentioned El Salvador was sending gang members: «I was, you know, President Trump has been complaining about El Salvador sending a lot of their gang members up. They haven’t been sending… certainly gang members, if they were in El Salvador, are deathly afraid of being caught and sent there because they will spend the rest of their life in that facility. I met a number, I spoke to a number of English speakers, illegals that had come and joined the gang and done bad things in LA or DC or Chicago or Boston or New York, and they’ve been caught by U.S. law enforcement, deported, and sent there, and El Salvador is taking care of their end of the bargain, putting these scumbags away for the rest of their lives.»
Economic Recovery and Future Challenges
Prince also touched on El Salvador’s economic prospects, stating that while security has vastly improved, the country still faces significant economic challenges. Inflation remains a concern, partly due to the country’s dollarized economy. Nonetheless, Prince expressed optimism about the future, highlighting ongoing reforms and the potential for economic growth, particularly through green energy initiatives like geothermal power.
“Bukele has fixed the security issue,” Prince said. “Now, the challenge is economic reform. But with the same determination, El Salvador can create generational economic development.”
International Influence
Prince sees Bukele’s success as a potential model for other Latin American countries struggling with gang violence. He compared El Salvador’s transformation to that of Argentina under President Javier Milei, suggesting that these leaders are setting new benchmarks for governance in the region.
As a final note, Prince mentioned that the improved security has even encouraged Salvadorans living abroad to return to their homeland, a stark contrast to the mass migration seen in previous years. This shift, he said, is a testament to the profound changes taking place under Bukele’s leadership.
With a safer society, economic optimism, and growing national pride, El Salvador is emerging as a beacon of hope in Central America. While challenges remain, Erik Prince’s observations suggest that the country is on the right path, and its future looks brighter than ever.
