President Nayib Bukele reacted to recent news from Belgium with a brief but pointed comment: “The irony…” The report from Brussels highlighted a surge in drug-related shootings so severe that the government is considering deploying soldiers to patrol alongside police in metro stations and troubled neighborhoods. Officials there admit dealers operate openly, “like they’re running outdoor cafés in broad daylight.” More than 50 shootings have taken place this year, and even the city’s top prosecutor is under police protection due to threats from traffickers.
Bukele’s reaction is widely seen as a response to critics of El Salvador’s Territorial Control Plan, which has relied heavily on military support to restore public safety. While international voices initially opposed the strategy, El Salvador has since recorded dramatic drops in crime, positioning the country as one of the safest in the region.
The developments in Europe come at the same time that the United States has also extended military support on its own streets. President Donald Trump announced that the deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C. will continue until December under what is called the “Safe and Beautiful Task Force” mission. Officials insist the measure is “just for continuity,” ensuring Guard members keep benefits, but in practice it also means soldiers will remain in the capital through election season and the holidays.
For Bukele, these global examples reinforce a point he has long made: El Salvador acted early, decisively, and effectively by integrating the military into its security plan. “There is no doubt that El Salvador acted before anyone else to stop crime, proving that the current system no longer works,” has been the underlying message of his administration. What was once controversial in El Salvador is now becoming a strategy mirrored in some of the world’s most developed nations.