What we can learn from El Salvador

American Mind: Since the Monroe Doctrine, the United States has, to varying degrees, sought to instruct the nations of South and Central America on how to manage their affairs. Today, Americans could reverse that paradigm and look to El Salvador, a small but proud nation, as a blueprint for governance and public safety. 

When Salvadorans elected President Nayib Bukele in 2019, they gave him a mandate to fix their failing country. Since the conclusion of the Salvadoran Civil War, which raged from 1979 to 1992, El Salvador has experienced modest economic growth. However, persistent corruption and inflation hampered the quality of life, and emigration to the United States drained the nation of productive members of its labor force. Money remitted home by Salvadoran migrants represents one-quarter of El Salvador’s GDP. 

Bukele directly addressed the problems facing El Salvador when he took power. As he told VICE News in an interview, “The gangs have been running this parallel state. They charge taxes, they control territory, they provide security. But I’m not gonna convert their de facto power into formal power.” 

Bukele was referring primarily to two gangs, MS-13 and M-18, which effectively controlled vast areas of El Salvador and brought drug and sex trafficking, violent crime, and extortion to every community. Traveling between towns put lives at stake, as gangs controlled public transportation. MS-13, in particular, has exported its violence abroad, including to the United States. 

Bukele took decisive action. He promptly launched the popular Territorial Control Plan to rein in gang violence. After a sudden spike in homicides in March 2022, which resulted in 87 deaths over a weekend, Bukele cracked down hard. With the strong backing of Salvadorans (over 90% of them approving), Bukele expanded the capabilities of law enforcement and empowered them to detain gang members for immediate processing.  MORE