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Translated by: Forca Jashari
- September 16, 2024 07:00
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A decade ago, El Salvador experienced the most unrelenting violence, with gangs terrorizing communities with extortion of businesses and brutal wars over control of neighborhoods. But things have changed dramatically, due to President Nayib Bukele and his grip on power. Critics argue that El Salvador's citizens have traded freedom for security, but some residents say they have never felt so free.
For decades, many people in El Salvador had only two choices to make: leave or die.
Known as the "murder capital of the world", El Salvador with only 6 million inhabitants, in 2016, had an average of one murder per hour.
But now, the security situation is so different that people are returning, even after building new, good lives for decades in the United States of America.
The transformation has occurred because of President Nayib Bukele and his grip on power, which has allowed him to bring peace to the streets, albeit at a cost.
Some constitutional rights have been suspended as a result of the emergency measures, leading to a massive increase in the number of prisoners and protests from human rights groups.
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Outcast, but now grateful
When Victor Bolaños and his wife, Blanca, lost their asylum case in a US court, their "American dream" collapsed.
They agreed to leave the country voluntarily, but the couple knew they had to leave behind the life they had built for more than 15 years in Denver, and return to their native El Salvador.
"We came back 6 years ago and we were very insecure," recalls Victor, sitting in the modest home the couple now owns in the capital, San Salvador. Even at 65, his voice still carries the weight of what the couple faced in 2018 when they returned to their hometown.
"When we came back, the situation seemed difficult because of insecurity, many robberies and many gangs," he says.
But after two years of their return, something unexpected happened.
The relentless, daily violence began to fade and the streets began to calm down. The suffocating fear that defined daily life began to fade.
El Salvador, once synonymous with violence and waves of emigration, experienced a dramatic drop in crime.
For many citizens, this change provided more than just security. It offered much needed hope.
Even the world noticed.
Suddenly, the small Central American nation seemed to be reviving itself under President Bukele, who took office in 2019 at the age of 37.
In San Salvador, Victor's wife, Blanca, sits in her living room, carefully working on various pieces of jewelry.
"Now, one feels safe, freedom is felt in our country", she says.
She and her husband, Victor, say the improved security has allowed them to start a small jewelry business, something that once seemed impossible.
"Now we can run businesses. There are entrepreneurs everywhere in the country," adds Blanca, reflecting how, not long ago, extortion by gangs would have crippled such an enterprise.
For decades, people from Central America, particularly the Northern Triangle of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, have fled violence and insecurity, seeking protection and opportunity in the US.
Leaving Houston
For 27 years, Diego Morales has built a life away from his hometown.
The 48-year-old real estate investor, husband and father of three left El Salvador in 1997, seeking the safety, stability and opportunity the US offered.
The idea of returning had never crossed his mind until the grim stories of violence that had haunted his homeland for so many years were replaced by tales of safety.
Diego's childhood was permeated by a constant sense of danger.
"I used to wake up, go to school and see dead people on the street," he recalls, his voice carrying the burden of painful memories.
But today, El Salvador is no longer the country he fled from.
"Now it is a safe place and many people are returning," says Diego, with words that reflect optimism.
The country's reputation has changed dramatically. Once known for violence, El Salvador is now attracting waves of investors.
"A lot of people, even Americans ... we have friends from Florida, from Austin, from Hawaii, who are looking to buy property," he says.
Diego himself is preparing to return to the land he once left behind.
He has already invested in his hometown of Tamanique, where he has built a resort that he now manages remotely.
Along Salvador's coastline, you can find seaside towns like El Tunco, El Zonte and La Libertad buzzing with new construction, attracting the attention of tourists.
Cliffs that were once gang lookouts are now being considered scenic spots for hotels.
"When President Bukele brought security to this country, everything increased in value," says Diego, adding that land that cost around $100 five years ago now fetches ten times the price.
And Diego's dream is not his alone. His 23-year-old son, Jairo, a US citizen, also plans to follow in his father's footsteps.
The government of El Salvador is dealing with those who fled, and want to return home, by putting them in a program that exempts them from taxes.
As of 2022, nearly 19 Salvadorans have opted out of the initiative, according to government figures.
"There is no mercy"
A decade ago, gangs like MS-13 and Barrio 18 terrorized communities, extorting businesses and waging brutal wars over neighborhood control, and El Salvador experienced the most brutal violence in the Western Hemisphere, according to InSight Crime.
But things have changed tremendously. In 2022, the number of murders fell dramatically, and in 2023 only 154 murders were recorded, a staggering 97.7% drop, compared to 2015, according to Government figures.
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The drop in the number of murders followed a series of emergency measures, with President Bukele giving police the power to detain suspects without charge for up to 15 days and deploying military troops across the country.
The new rules, which are still in place, targeted gang activity, with more than 80 people arrested since the state of emergency began in March 2022.
At the center of this effort to establish order is "Cecot", a massive prison complex with the capacity to hold up to 40 prisoners.
The maximum security prison currently holds 14 gang members. And, according to the country's authorities, those sent to "Cecot" will never be released.
"We have no mercy for crimes related to life," Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro told CNN.
Villatoro's words echo the brutal reality that El Salvador has faced for years. He claims gang members were required to kill at least one person in order to be part of groups like MS-13 or Barrio 18.
The harsh approach of the Government was not spontaneous. It was meticulously planned. Villatoro and members of Bukele's cabinet had begun studying the gangs as early as 2017.
"Before starting a war, you must know your enemy," he explained.
Although the government's ruthless measures have been praised by many for restoring peace, they have also drawn much criticism.
Human rights groups have accused Bukele's administration of numerous abuses in its battle against gangs.
Villatoro, however, refutes these claims, asserting that the focus should be on the victims, not the criminals.
"Where were these human rights groups when 30 people were being killed in our country a day?" he says.
Bukele himself has been steadfast in his rhetoric.
In 2022, he challenged human rights lawyers, telling them to "get" gang members if they care that much.
"Come get them, we will give them, two for the price of one", Bukele told the lawyers.
Mass arrests
At the beginning of 2024, Juan Carlos Cornejo found himself among hundreds of arrestees.
He was in prison, confused and terrified.
Juan Carlos believes he was targeted simply because of his looks.
"I was accused of illegal association, but I have nothing to do with it. I like music, rock, so my look was different. I had long hair. I have tattoos, but these are artistic expressions", he expressed with obvious disappointment.
Juan Carlos was in prison for five long months.
Before he was arrested, he worked as a veterinary assistant. He insists he has never been arrested before.
His release came only after Socorro Jurídico Humanitario (SJH), a group that provides legal advice in cases of human rights violations, successfully defended his case.
But Juan Carlos' story is by no means unique.
According to the SJH, 33 thousand to 35 thousand people have been "arrested arbitrarily without any justification" since the beginning of the state of emergency.
Despite widespread criticism of these tactics, the Bukele Government remains determined.
Officials argue that these measures, although harsh, are done legally and are necessary to secure the country's future. They also highlight efforts to rehabilitate tens of thousands of prisoners convicted of lesser crimes.
Exchange of freedom
Critics argue that El Salvador's citizens have traded freedom for security, but the people we met say they have never felt so free.
It is the mother who laughs as she takes her child to the park, without fear of losing her life during the gunfights.
There is also the father, who no longer worries if his son will be recruited by gangs.
Unlike countries like Cuba or China, where residents criticize repressive regimes, in El Salvador optimism seems real.
Armored cars and uniformed soldiers are no longer reasons to run, but opportunities for curious children to ask questions.
"It was so bad before, you couldn't go anywhere," says one woman, posing for a photo with Defense Minister René Merino, who has become a symbol of the security strategy.
"God only knows how we managed before," another woman told CNN, her voice shaking as her eyes filled with tears.
Her emotions reveal the deep scars of the violence that once consumed their daily lives, and the relief that has followed.
But the immediate question is what will happen after 2029, when Bukele's term ends.
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In a recent interview, the president stated that he would not seek a third term, leaving many question marks for the future.
Whether El Salvador's new stability will last or falter, only time will tell. But for now, among those who say their lives have changed, there is no doubt: they believe in Bukele and would support him again.
