Part 4/10:
The construction of SEOT is a direct response to a pre-existing situation in which the Salvadorian state grappled with spiraling violence, extortion, and the powerful grip of gangs, primarily MS-13 and Barrio 18. These gangs, born from a historical struggle and fueled by the deportation of gang members from the U.S. back to an unstable El Salvador, became a pervasive force of terror, controlling even the prison system.