El Salvador’s Security Landscape: A Complex History

El Salvador currently stands at the forefront of discussions on security and law enforcement, though this position comes after many years of turmoil, often marked by military dictatorships and the suppression of key figures within the society.

It’s tough to trace exactly when the decades of violence started in El Salvador, but there’s consensus on what ultimately curtailed it—a decisive and controversial crackdown led by the sitting president, Nayib Bukele. His approach has been so impactful that critics often argue he’s too harsh on gangs and not protective enough of legal rights for the accused.

Regardless, Bukele’s popularity shows no signs of waning. His support can really only be understood against the backdrop of Salvadorans now celebrating a display of authority they’ve previously suffered under.

Some residents shared stories of areas once controlled by gangs, expressing their terror about simply crossing into certain neighborhoods. Families were deeply affected, businesses fell apart, and progress halted. However, they now report a change, claiming that government intervention has made a difference.

The roots of gang violence, like many issues in the country, can be traced back to the civil war—a war sparked by a failed peasant uprising in 1932, known as La Matanza, where over 30,000 people lost their lives due to government repression.

Before violence consumed the nation, the backdrop consisted of military regimes, electoral fraud, and violence sanctioned by the state. By the end of the civil war in 1992, more than 75,000 people had died, and much of the current leadership emerged from this horrific past.

Personal stories illustrate this point. Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado recalls being inspired to pursue law after a corrupt police officer murdered his father when he was just 14. Similarly, Vice President Félix Ulloa’s father, a progressive academic, was murdered by death squads, showcasing how deeply this history impacts the leadership.

During the civil conflict, more than a million people fled, seeking refuge, with many now residing in the U.S. A significant portion of them ended up in Los Angeles, where some young Salvadorans learned from local gangs, eventually leading to the formation of groups like MS-13 and Vario 18.

In the late 1990s, the U.S. began deporting violent offenders back to El Salvador, introducing a gang culture that contributed to the rise of MS-13 as an international criminal entity.

“We’ve seen that individuals who were deported arrived with no restrictions,” said Montes, explaining how this influx shaped local communities and facilitated gang formation. Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro remarks that globalist influences hindered efforts to prevent gang violence after the war ended.

As the gangs grew, they expanded their operations beyond mere crime, effectively overshadowing political figures and institutions. “They constructed a form of governance that controlled vast areas of our communities,” Villatoro noted.

Ulloa pointed out that some politicians perceive gang affiliations as potential assets, often navigating between crime and electoral gain.

In 2015, Bukele left the FMLN party to establish Nuevas Ideas, advocating against corruption and pushing for a tougher stance on gangs. He approached Ulloa just before registering his candidacy, who, surprisingly, accepted without discussing it at length with his spouse.

Despite securing a 53% victory in 2019, Bukele’s administration initially struggled to pass significant reforms due to a lack of legislative support.

From 2019 to 2021 was a frustrating period as efforts were often blocked by Congress. However, significant changes came in 2021 with a restructuring of Bukele’s security cabinet, leading to a more aggressive approach against criminal organizations.

By 2022, Ulloa announced a formal declaration of war against gangs, introducing a strategy that allowed police to sweep through neighborhoods, arresting gang members in large numbers.

Under Bukele’s new Legislative Assembly, a “state of exception” was approved, temporarily suspending certain legal rights and enabling mass incarceration—by 2024, around 1% of El Salvador’s population would be imprisoned.

To facilitate prosecutions, police utilized gang tattoos to identify offenders and streamline legal processes against whole gang factions instead of individual suspects based on their ranks.

In response to the growing prisoner population, Bukele established the Center for Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT), a massive prison designed to hold up to 40,000 alleged gang members, which has become emblematic of his authoritative governance.

While his methods are often criticized—some even labeling them as encroachments on human rights—it cannot be denied that Bukele has brought about the security he campaigned for. Ulloa emphasized that many communities now feel liberated from the grips of violence, allowing people to walk freely without the fear that once defined their lives. Reports of increasing tourism seem to corroborate a sense of safety returning to the country, further projecting an optimistic future.