Part 6/10:
Nayib Bukele changed the political landscape in 2019, winning the presidency with his anti-corruption message and a promise to reclaim the nation from gangs. His strategy, marked by a series of aggressive policies, confronted the gangs head-on.
After a spike in violent incidents, including a one-day massacre that left 62 dead, Bukele declared a state of emergency that granted authorities expanded powers to arrest suspected gang members without traditional due process. From 2022 to 2024, over 880,000 people were arrested—many of whom were innocent. The opposition raised alarms about human rights abuses, with reports suggesting that one in six arrests involved individuals with no gang affiliations.