In May 2020, amid the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, El Salvador was under a strict military-imposed lockdown. During a press conference, a question regarding President Nayib Bukele’s plans to consult with the business sector on reopening the economy elicited a sharp response from the president, who also criticized the founder of the news outlet where this account originates.
Following this exchange, the journalist faced death threats from supporters of President Bukele. One particularly menacing message posted on Twitter by an individual outside El Salvador stated a desire to return to the country to shoot the journalist multiple times, reflecting the intense hostility towards dissent.
Such reactions illustrate a segment of Bukele’s base that regards criticism of the president as intolerable. Despite this, Bukele maintains overwhelming popularity, with approval ratings exceeding 80 percent nationally and strong support within the Salvadoran diaspora. While he is often portrayed as an efficient and articulate leader who has successfully reduced crime and combats corruption, the reality reveals a leader who exercises unchecked control over state institutions, undermining democratic principles.
Bukele has also become a key figure in managing deportees from the United States, many of whom are placed in El Salvador’s notoriously harsh prison system. Families from Venezuela, the U.S., and El Salvador alike are confronting the unpredictable and often severe nature of his governance. Despite Bukele’s self-description as the “coolest dictator in the world,” the evidence points to a regime marked by authoritarianism and cruelty.
The national security strategy associated with Bukele’s administration centers on the widespread arrests and detention of individuals linked to gang activity. A prominent example is Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran immigrant who was forcibly returned to El Salvador in March under questionable circumstances. Since declaring a state of exception in 2022, still ongoing, Bukele has aimed to dismantle gang control and curb violent crime.
However, this security approach has severely compromised constitutional rights. Thousands of people without criminal records have been detained amid the crackdown, which has effectively disrupted gang operations and led to a sharp decline in homicides. Approximately 80,000 arrests have been made since the state of exception began. Although Bukele acknowledged that around 8,000 innocent individuals were arrested and subsequently released, civil society organizations estimate the actual figure to be significantly higher.
