El Salvador's prison population has tripled, to 100,000, in less than two years under Nayib Bukele's crackdown on gangs, or 1.6% of its 6.3 million citizens.
Source: Office of the President of El Salvador
The Big Take
A Brutal Crime Crackdown Is Emboldening Leaders Across Latin America
Nayib Bukele has brought violent criminal gangs to heel in El Salvador. While that's made the country safer and him extremely popular, his strongman tactics have come at the cost of civil liberties
In only two years, Nayib Bukele transformed El Salvador from one of the most dangerous countries in Latin America to among the safest. That’s sent his popularity soaring, even as he’s come under criticism for an increasingly authoritarian bent.