Gisel was 17 when authorities came for her parents chasing an anonymous tip. Others agonize over whether they will again see their son, their mother, their brother. Listening, overseeing things,” said Jennifer Luna de Diaz, Pacheco’s 27-year-old daughter. The police officer said there is widespread fear among colleagues that they eventually will be targeted in revenge attacks by gang members. Inside prisons, officials and former prisoners say, gang members simmer with a sort of vengeful rage.

Gang members remain free in parts of Mexico and Guatemala, and their families still hover in areas they once controlled. The police official said many of those captured by the government were low-level foot soldiers, people collecting extortion payments or lookouts. Now, I would vote for him.”Įven as Bukele has dealt a historic blow to the gangs, they quietly lurk in the areas they once controlled, according to locals and government personnel. When asked what she thought of Bukele, Pacheco, the corner shop owner, responded: “I’ve never voted in my life. In September, he announced a run for reelection despite El Salvador’s constitution banning presidents from consecutive terms.

The government has extended Bukele’s state of emergency a dozen times. “It’s a model that sells a kind of punitive populism to gain popularity and stay in power,” said Abraham Abrego, a leader of Cristosal. Bukele has harnessed his approval to further consolidate control.

Download the price is steep