El Salvador’s ‘1,000 Days Without Homicides’: A Closer Look Behind Bukele’s Claims

When El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele recently proclaimed his government has achieved "1,000 days without homicides," it made headlines as a triumphant testament to his security policies. But beneath this surface celebration lies an alarming narrative that demands scrutiny — one with profound implications for freedom and transparency in governance. Can Repressive Measures Hide the True Cost of ‘Safety’? Bukele credits his Plan Control Territorial—a militarized crackdown deploying police and troops across neighborhoods—and a strict state of exception targeting gangs since March 2022 for the dramatic drop in murders. Nearly 90,000 individuals have been detained under this regime, with constitutional...