El Salvador's leader, criticized internationally for gang crackdown, tells UN it was the right thing
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has trumpeted the success of his gang crackdown during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
While the concerns over some of the policies enacted by this government are legitimate, I think one has to acknowledge that they have been effective at combating the gangs, which had largely held the entire nation and its government hostage through terrorism. My question is: what should that government have done instead? If the humanitarian critics want to be taken seriously, we have to be able to suggest plans and policies that will achieve the same or similar ends without the drawbacks of rolling back fundamental human rights. The people of El Salvador were in a desperate situation and so elected a president who took desperate measures. If we want to prevent those desperate measures from gaining popular support, liberal politicians need to provide effective solutions for these desperate problems that work without the need of said desperate measures.
I live in Nicaragua (I'm American) and can say that while yes he does have his critics in Central America, he's overwhelmingly supported in El Salvador and the people are actually safe, which is not normal for the last several decades.
Sometimes extreme measures are needed. It's like he said when this started, (paraphrasing) "Where were all these countries when we needed help. Where was their training, money, equipment, etc.? Our people are dying and we've had enough! So the world ignored us before and now they want to criticize us. We don't care."
I won't criticize them for taking much of the steps they did. However I hope that as things are stabilizing that the rights which were stripped away to achieve this will eventually be restored.
As do I.
I think this is a well-rounded review of the situation: How the World’s Most Dangerous Country Solved Murder by Wendover Productions
Signed up for Curiosity yrs ago just to support Wendover
UN moment.
He gets praised by his country for finally dealing with this issue for real.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — El Salvador President Nayib Bukele trumpeted the success of his gang crackdown during his speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, crediting his administration’s will against international criticism over human rights violations.
Bukele said that if El Salvador had listened to external critics — including some at the United Nations — the tiny Central American country would again be the murder capital of the world.
More than 72,000 people have been arrested under a state of emergency Bukele requested in March 2022 after a surge in gang violence.
The special powers that Congress granted Bukele suspended some fundamental rights such as access to a lawyer and being told the reason for one’s arrest.
They will likely be the centerpiece of his campaign for re-election next year, something prohibited by El Salvador’s constitution but allowed by court justices selected by his supporters in the Legislative Assembly.
El Salvador’s newfound security has drawn more international visitors and is beginning to attract Salvadorans who moved away long ago to escape the violence, he said.
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I can't say it was a great plan from a civil rights standpoint. But from what has been reported, it seems to have helped significantly and it's wildly popular. They can't be locked up forever though and I wonder what will be done to make them actual productive members of society.