In just four years, President Nayib Bukele has turned El Salvador into an oasis of tropical calm.
Bukele filed for a second term of office last week. Bukele registered for a second term last week. Bukele has 90% approval among Salvadorans. He has faced little opposition. However, the international media has criticized him and compared his authoritarian regimes with those of Central America.
El Salvador had the highest murder rates in the world before Bukele was elected president. According to the government, there were 103 murders per 100,000 people in 2015, mainly due to the MS-13 gang. The corrupt officials allowed the gangs to establish themselves, harassing tourists and locals. The president built a huge prison to house criminals and the military has been deployed to crackdown against gang activity.
El Salvador will become one of the safest countries in Latin America before 2022. The murder rate dropped from 16 to 8 per 100,000. Mexico’s murder rate in the same period was less than half. The number of crimes has also dropped 92% since Bukele took office. You wouldn’t see this in many U.S. cities.
Bukele’s popularity is not limited to his safety.
Bukele has been re-elected after a large group of supporters gathered at the weekend. The liberal American media has tried to minimize his achievements by calling him an “authoritarian”. They also said that Bukele’s reelection “raises concerns”. ”
Locals have a great deal of enthusiasm for Bukele, despite protestations from the American media. They gather in large numbers regularly to show their support. The merchandise that is sold in shops and on the streets features his image. According to polls, he’s more popular than any other Latin American leader. It’s likely that he will be re-elected in 2024 when Salvadorans go to the polls.
