Nayib Bukele celebrates three years of government in El Salvador in the midst of a controversial “war” against gangs

Nayib Bukele turns three years in power in El Salvador this Wednesday waging their frontal “war” on the gangs and the reduction of violence as the main conquest of his government, a plan that earned him popular support but also strong criticism.

The fight against gang violence of the 40-year-old, avid user of social networks, has a 91% approval of the population, according to a Cid Gallup poll.

El Salvador, with around 70,000 gang members, is struggling to escape the list of countries with the most murders in the world.

After the murder of 87 people in the country from 25 to 27 MarchBukele has decreed a state of exception which has been extended.

Bukele’s “war” has put thousands of soldiers patrolling the streets and led to jail in the past two months. without judicial order to 35,000 alleged members of the “maras”to which are added another 16,000 who were already in prison.

Audacity

“The emergency regime is a courageous actionit is necessary in the face of a phenomenon as complicated as that of gangs “, said the political analyst Dagoberto Gutiérrez, vice-rector of the Salvadoran Lutheran University.

The government’s actions on the security issue “can be seen as bitter but necessary medicine,” he added.

For the criminologist Ricardo Sosa, the Bukele government has taken measures against the gangs “thatthey are having an impact in its damage capacity.

The specialist indicated that, despite the fact that the gangs are currently “disbanded or hidden”, they will not go away short term.

The war against gangs is well regarded by the population: according to Jesuit Central American University (UCA) “eight out of ten Salvadorans” support it.

According to official data in 2021 the murders were 1,147, up from 1,341 in 2020 and 2,398 in 2019. According to Bukele, the sharp decline is due to its territorial control plan. Critics denounce alleged government negotiations with gangs, although the government denies it.

The critics

Some are uncomfortable with what they describe it as a growing authoritarianism of Bukeleand the United States and international organizations called on him to respect human rights after reports of massive arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment of detainees.

In May 2021, with the help of Congress where it has a large majority, the president has dismissed the five judges of the Constitutional Section of the Supreme Court of Justicethe highest judicial body in the country, has fired the attorney general and a third of the 690 Salvadoran judges (all those over 60 or 30 years of service).

The United States, the UN and the OAS therefore called on El Salvador to do so respect human rights and freedom of the press in the fight against gangs.

“It’s been three years in which the tone of his government was authoritarianattacking the independence of powers to have a government suitable for them, without opposition to their actions “, said analyst Eduardo Escobar, director of the Acción Ciudadana association, which carries out social control.

Bukele seeks to finalize a loan with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for $ 1.3 billion to clean up Salvadoran coffers and turn a $ 1,000 million issue of bitcoin bonds into reality.

In September 2021, bitcoin was accepted by its government as legal tender along with the dollar adopted more than two decades ago.

El Salvador’s public debt is currently around 90% of its GDP.

For the economist Rafael Lemus, the agreement with the IMF is fundamental but it takes a long time because the government rejects the conditions that the body asks for.

“What the government doesn’t want is to have IMF standards, which demand transparency, (that there is) accountability and anti-corruption,” Lemus said.

The economist estimates that El Salvador is in a situation of “instability” and that there is a risk of “default” on foreign debt.

However, Minister Zelaya ruled out a moratorium.

“We are not planning to default as some prophets of chaos always announce,” Zelaya said, adding that El Salvador is looking for a loan on the “best terms”.

Bukele’s government also has the issuance of bitcoin bonds on hold equal to 1,000 million dollars to build the so-called “Bitcoin City”.

AFP agency

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