El Salvador’s 2026 national budget proposal includes a major increase in funding for public security and justice, with a focus on policing, prison administration, anti-terrorism efforts, and rehabilitation programs aimed at long-term social reintegration. The sector will receive $702.5 million next year, up by $113.6 million compared to 2025.
According to the draft, $471.9 million is earmarked for Public Security to strengthen police operations, expand the use of advanced technology, and reinforce intelligence, investigative, and rural security units. The initiative supports the Government’s Territorial Control Plan, designed to curb crime and organized gang activity.
Prison administration will receive $128.6 million to improve reintegration services for inmates and establish alternative sentencing measures. Authorities say these investments are aimed at preventing criminal relapse and promoting more effective coordination between institutions.
A separate $15 million allocation will go to a special anti-terrorism program designed to provide additional legal and operational tools for the Ministry of Security and the National Civil Police.
Another $1 million has been assigned to the Investment Development Unit for Reinsertion and Rehabilitation to build and upgrade correctional facilities. The goal, as outlined in the proposal, is to “strengthen the Zero Leisure Plan through productive training initiatives, enabling inmates to manufacture concrete blocks and prefabricated materials for public infrastructure projects.”
On September 30, Legislative Assembly President Ernesto Castro said the 2026 budget proposal prioritizes areas considered strategic by President Nayib Bukele’s administration, noting that it focuses on “education, health, public security, defense, early childhood initiatives, and the Crecer Juntos program.”