Sometimes you have to take the bull by the horns.
Nayib Bukele rose to power vouching to: side his country to western values, end decades of malnutrition, and, most importantly, take a stand against the violent crime gangs that ran El Salvador.
An boy did he succeed.
Bukele’s policies dropped the murder rate of his country by about 80%. Taking the nation from one of the most dangerous to one of the safest.
When have you ever in your life seen results like that? I’m sure not from your own country’s politicians.
Now, his methods have upset many NGOs and similar groups.
Those groups that are great at defending human rights when it does not involve the violent death of their own families at the hands of criminals.
How did Bukele do it? He issued a state of exception in March 2022, meaning constitutional rights were no longer guaranteed.
In short, he said that gloves were off. If gangs weren’t going to abide to any rule, then neither would he.
To date, Bukele’s government has imprisoned over 74.000 people suspected to be gang members.
Instead of having a costly trial, risk of them resorting to legal loopholes or just go on the lam, gang members were thrown straight into jail cells.
What do Salvadorans think? Well, honest Salvadorans rejoiced with now safer places and newfound sense of security.
Bukele is the living example on how you have to be ready to meet your enemies in a playing field where you can actually win.
While not everyone approves of his methods, few can argue with the results.
Are you playing a game you can actually win in? Or are you just there to pass the time and be forgotten?
Well done, Nayib!