Nostr Web Client

I spent the last two summers in El Salvador while my son was attending an immersion language school.

I spoke with locals as much as I possibly could and was fascinated to hear their perspective on Bukele.

One particular guide I spent two days with (any national parks there, you MUST be accompanied by a certified tour guide).

He was ex military and seemed rather liberal based on his opinions on same sex/trans rights etc.

—Anyway, he was active during the 2020 gang roundups.

His opinion was similar to every one of the people I spoke to.

They all love the fact that, the country went from a war torn 3rd world shithole to one of the safest in the world.

There’s virtually zero crime there.

Bukele’s approval rating is listed at ~90%

I even spoke to a surf instructor dude that spent some time in jail just last year because of his relationship with a woman who’s brother was a gang member.

Even he said, he’d never trade back to the previous system. He now loves his country.

Just my 2c

Foxfire Mushrooms 1w ago 💬 1

I understand why it’s a lot better for the people who live there. When it comes to somewhere I might want to move to though, that prison is a huge honey pot and it was all accomplished by a massive centralization of power, so I still find it to be concerning. Other countries down there have experienced massive prison breaks leading to violence and social unrest, like Ecuador a few years ago. I also work with a Salvadoran guy right now who told me he has multiple friends in prison who are definitely not affiliated with any gang activities and are innocent of any crime, but just got rounded up anyway with no recourse, no visitors allowed and nobody knows if they’ll ever be set free. But, I was in El Salvador for a month many years ago when it was the most dangerous country in Latin America, and I get why nobody would want to trade it back for that.

Reply to this note

Please Login to reply.

Discussion

Telluride 1w ago

Totally agree with everything you said.

A lot of people got rounded up for just being affiliated with gang members or having family members involved. I heard this first hand from people. If you even know a gang member and you didn’t turn them in, you get the same treatment.

Its harsh.

There was a Chinese businessman I met on that trip that told me a lot of countries do it this way. He said Americans are so dumb, they think everywhere is like the USA. He said we have it too easy and we’re spoiled.

Food for thought.