Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Tom Phillips in Port-au-Prince, Natricia Duncan in Kingston, Tiago Rogero in Guayaquil, Harriet Barber in Buenos Aires, and Hipolito Novelo in Belize City

Bukele-mania: El Salvador strongman’s crime clampdown excites regional right

a man in a baseball cap on stage before a sign saying el presidente
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele participates in the closing party of the ‘Bitcoin Week’ in Teotepeque, El Salvador, in November 2021. Photograph: José Cabezas/Reuters

Five hours after being shot in the belly, a Haitian accountant sat in a Port-au-Prince emergency room pondering how his homeland might be saved.

“I follow the news,” said the 60-year-old, who had been hit by a stray bullet early that morning, the latest victim of seemingly interminable gang conflict that has claimed thousands of lives in the last year alone. “And I watch the young president of El Salvador who has the same problem as us.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.