Inside El Salvador’s Prison System: Bukele’s Claims vs. Troubling U.S. Sanctions

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has boldly proclaimed that his country operates the "best prison system in the world," highlighting a program where more than 48,000 inmates work to reduce their sentences. But beneath this glossy claim lies a troubling reality that Washington has spotlighted through sanctions and investigative reports. Bukele took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate what he described as an unprecedented penitentiary program. According to official statements, these inmates are not gang members but prisoners engaging in productive labor—manufacturing shoes and participating in government construction projects—to earn sentence reductions. However, skepticism arises given the...