For decades, the Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, positioned itself as one of the most feared and powerful gangs in Latin America, wielding significant influence in El Salvador. When Nayib Bukele took office in 2019, his administration launched a tough campaign targeting the country's criminal organizations. Following a surge of gang-related killings in March 2022, Bukele declared a state of emergency, giving law enforcement expanded authority to detain suspected gang members and their allies.
Since then, the country's homicide rate has dropped dramatically, tens of thousands have been arrested, and the grip of gangs like MS-13 has been considerably weakened. However, a recent report highlights that these gains have come at a high price: extensive human rights abuses including arbitrary detentions, violations of due process, reports of torture and mistreatment, and deaths in custody. The report also reveals a troubling system where corrupt officials exploit families of detainees for profit through extortion.
