In March 2022, the government of El Salvador declared a state of emergency, citing the reason as 62 murders in one day, marking the bloodiest 24 hours in 30 years. The government introduced strict measures, including prohibiting gatherings and checking all communications. Prisoners were confined to their cells all day, and additional rules were introduced in prisons. The government declared war on the most famous gangs, MS-13 and Barrio 18, which are known for their violent activities. The president, Nayib Bukele, is seen as a tough crimefighter, and his policy has led to a decrease in murder rates. However, there is criticism from human rights organizations, and concerns about the reliability of murder figures published by the government. Despite this, Bukele remains popular in his own country, and many neighboring countries view El Salvador with admiration due to the decrease in gang violence and increased safety in previously unsafe neighborhoods.
1. The government of El Salvador declared a state of emergency in March 2022.
2. Arrests can be made without an arrest warrant under the emergency rules.
3. Gatherings are prohibited, and all communications are monitored by the government.
4. The government has introduced additional rules in prisons.
5. Prisoners are kept in their cells all day.
6. President Bukele sent a message to gangs, stating that their members would no longer see a ray of sunshine.
7. The state of emergency was declared due to 62 murders in one day, marking the bloodiest 24 hours in 30 years.
8. El Salvador has a history of violence, with the civil war ending in 1992 after 12 years with more than 75,000 deaths.
9. In 2015, El Salvador was the most violent country not officially at war, with more than 6,500 murders committed.
10. The violence rate in El Salvador was 18 murders per day in 2015, equivalent to almost one murder every hour.
11. The most famous gangs in El Salvador are MS-13 and Barrio 18, known as the most vicious gangs in the world.
12. The government is not afraid of the gangs and often disrupts their activities.
13. According to the FBI, MS-13's motto is "Kill, rape, control."
14. MS-13 and Barrio 18 primarily make money through extortion.
15. In February of the year, El Salvador reached 300 days without a murder.
16. The president declared war on the gangs and the government says they've rounded up more than 65,000 gang members in one year.
17. The story of MS-13 and Barrio 18 began in the suburbs of Los Angeles, with many Salvadorans fleeing the civil war in El Salvador.
18. The Salvadoran community in Los Angeles started its own gang, Street Smart Salvadorans, to protect themselves against American gangs.
19. MS-13 and Barrio 18 became increasingly violent in the following years, leading to a skyrocketing number of gang-related murders in the 1990s.
20. The gangs spread across the continent after returning to El Salvador from American prisons.
21. The gangs are not drug cartels and there is no leader similar to Pablo Escobar or El Chapo.
22. The gangs mainly get their money through extortion and the culture revolves around violence and status.
23. Gangs often recruit members for life, unless certain conditions are met.
24. The president, Nayib Bukele, made bitcoin legal tender in El Salvador, marking a world first.
25. Bukele won the 2019 presidential elections and presented himself as an anti-politician.
26. Since he came to power, the number of murders has decreased as he made a deal with the gangs.
27. Bukele denies this deal and poses as a tough crimefighter.
28. The Salvadoran newspaper El Faro revealed that the 62 murders in one day were the result of a rift between the government and MS-13.
29. Bukele declared a state of emergency after the killings, which has been in force for a year with more than 65,000 gang members jailed.
30. Bukele opened a mega prison, but it has been criticized for its harsh conditions and for incarcerating people who have nothing to do with gangs.
31. Since Bukele became president, the murder figures are only published by the government, leading to criticism of their reliability.
32. Judges are appointed by the president, meaning the government cannot be controlled.
33. Bukele is popular in his own country due to the increased safety in formerly unsafe neighborhoods.
34. Many neighboring countries look at El Salvador with admiration due to the decrease in violence.
35. The long-term effectiveness of President Bukele's policy remains to be seen.