Summary
El Salvador ended 2024 with a record low 114 homicides, equivalent to 1.9 per 100,000 people, making it the safest country in the Western Hemisphere according to President Nayib Bukele.
The drop follows two years under a state of emergency aimed at eradicating gang violence, granting authorities sweeping powers but limiting civil rights.
Over 83,000 arrests have been made, though 354 detainees reportedly died in custody.
While criticized for human rights violations, Bukele’s crackdown has drastically improved security, boosting his popularity.
Easy when you toss people into a pit without due process. I wonder what the percentage is of innocent people rotting in those inhumane prisons they built. Not to mention that those prisons and form of justice will eventually be turned towards the next batch of “undesirables” in no time. Including his political opponents. This president can wear a backwards hat and act like he’s a man of the people, but he’s a wealthy nepo oligarch.
Edit: you’re a fool if you think this guy isn’t hiding the real numbers
Oh brother… so, what do you suggest? Go back to the old ways? How about we ask the majority of Salvadorians what they think?
In case you were wondering like I was:
A new report from the FBI shows that the U.S. homicide rate has come down from its pandemic peak. In 2022, the government agency counted 6.3 homicides per 100,000 of U.S. population, down from 6.8 in 2021 - the equivalent of a fall of around 6 percent.
https://www.statista.com/chart/31062/us-homicide-rate/
I live in a fucking third world country. Hopefully not for much longer.
All Salvadorians I hear from say they are happy with the situation.
“security”, as long as you won’t get arrested and imprisoned without a trial, because of a vague suspicion because you entered a shop which got robbed 3 hours ago and you just came there to buy some cheese. Ah well, better 10 innocent imprisoned than 1 guilty in the streets, right? Oh no, it’s El Salvador, Better 100 innocent imprisoned than 1 guilty in the street. Better safe then sorry!
So, go back to how it was before? Is that what you’re saying? There’s either this way, or the way it was before. Ask the people of El Salvador what they prefer.
I wonder if this is a bit of a false dichotomy. I don’t think you’ll find anybody that wants it “back how it was before”, but rather how it is going now but without all the collateral damage and arrests of innocent people.
That’s the thing. The reason El Salvador was so effective in eliminating crime is because they don’t care about imprisoning innocent people.
You can’t have the effectiveness without the collateral damage.
Which one is preferable? I don’t know. But you can’t eat the cake and have it too.
Only people on the Left, hardcore liberals are complaining about the job he’s doing. Because you know, low life scum criminals deserve to be treated with dignity.
