El Salvador: How Bukele's Gang Crackdown Has Reshaped Communities | DISPATCH | HD Documentary

With more than 3,000 homicides per year for a population of six million, El Salvador has long held the record of being the most dangerous country in the world. This insecurity was caused by gang warfare between MS13 and Barrio 18. To combat this violence, El Salvador’s young president, Nayib Bukele, declared a ruthless war on gangs. Over 75,000 people accused of being members of MS 13 and Barrio 18 have been arrested and thrown into prison. An extraordinary penitentiary was built especially for them: the CECOT (Terrorism Containment Center). It’s the biggest prison in the world.

But, as documented by Amnesty International, the crackdown has also resulted in systemic human rights abuses. The police are under pressure to meet arrest quotas, innocent people have been arrested and their families struggle to get them released. These “blunders” do not thwart President Bukele’s security policy. To show that his country is now totally secure, last November he organized the Miss Universe election and has embraced his title of ’the world’s coolest dictator’.

This documentary was first released in 2024.

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