BY Richard Moorhead, The Western JournalMay 12, 2023
12 months ago
BY 
 | May 12, 2023
12 months ago

President of El Salvador Touts Success of Gang Crackdown - But Fact-Check Shows He's Not There Yet

After the president of El Salvador touted the success of his crackdown on gangs in reducing murders in the nation, a Twitter fact-check revealed that he still has work to do.

On Wednesday, President Nayib Bukele claimed that El Salvador had gone 365 days without a homicide.

"We closed on May 10, 2023, with 0 homicides nationwide. With this, it's 365 days without homicides, a full year," he tweeted.

However, a community note was added to Bukele's tweet that undercut his claim.

The note pointed to police data showing that El Salvador has seen 0.4 murders per day so far this year. Moreover, the country has gone only 95 days without a homicide -- still an impressive number, but not the almost unbelievable 365.

The 0.4 daily murder rate is an 85 percent reduction from the same period in 2022, which was already the safest year in El Salvador's history, according to the website that shared the data.

A video that accompanied Bukele's tweet noted that before his gang crackdown, El Salvador was "the most violent country in the world."

"In 2015 alone, the gangs killed over 6,000 Salvadorans," the narrator continued. "We had averages of 30 homicides per day."

But today, the narrator said, El Salvador is "undisputedly the safest country in Latin America."

El Salvador's murder rate was cut in half in 2022 after Bukele launched the anti-crime campaign, according to Reuters. Over 60,000 suspected gang members were arrested by January of this year.

The campaign has included programs in which convicted gang members are put to work destroying tombstones bearing gang-related symbols in Salvadoran cemeteries.

Bukele has also opened high-security prisons to detain the country's most violent gangsters.

A February video showed rows upon rows of inmates bearing MS-13 gang tattoos being shuffled into the new Center for the Confinement of Terrorism.

"This will be their new house, where they will live for decades, mixed up, unable to do any more harm to the population," Bukele said of the new facility.

Even Bukele's critics -- who worry about the impact of the campaign on gang members' civil liberties -- admit that the crackdown has stifled the epidemic of violence El Salvador was once known for, according to The New York Times.

"Before, it was the gangsters that were in charge,” one small business owner said, according to the Times. “Now, there are almost no gang members.”

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

Written by: Richard Moorhead, The Western Journal

NATIONAL NEWS

SEE ALL

Trump Fined For Gag Order Breach In Hush Money Trial

Former President Donald Trump was fined $9,000 for violating a court-imposed gag order through his social media posts related to the ongoing Stormy Daniels hush…
1 hour ago
 • By Staff Writers

Elon Musk Fires Senior Tesla Executives Amid Broad Layoffs

In a significant shake-up at Tesla, CEO Elon Musk has terminated two senior executives and outlined deep cuts to the company's workforce. This swift move…
1 hour ago
 • By Staff Writers

Prince Harry To Attend Invictus Games Anniversary Amid Family Health Challenges

Prince Harry is preparing for a poignant return to the UK to celebrate the Invictus Games' 10th anniversary amidst personal family health struggles. Prince Harry,…
1 hour ago
 • By Staff Writers

Fulton County DA Fani Willis Faces Wardrobe Glitch At Public Event

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis recently found herself at the center of an unexpected incident while attending a public event in Miami. Willis had…
2 hours ago
 • By Staff Writers

Ron DeSantis to Campaign for Donald Trump in 2024 Election

Fresh from a conciliatory meeting in Florida, Ron DeSantis has announced his intent to actively campaign for Donald Trump throughout the 2024 election season. Tensions…
3 hours ago
 • By Staff Writers

DON'T WAIT.

We publish the objective news, period. If you want the facts, then sign up below and join our movement for objective news:

    LATEST NEWS

    Newsletter

    Get news from American Digest in your inbox.

      By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: American Digest, 3000 S. Hulen Street, Ste 124 #1064, Fort Worth, TX, 76109, US, http://americandigest.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact.
      Christian News Alerts is a conservative Christian publication. Share our articles to help spread the word.
      © 2024 - CHRISTIAN NEWS ALERTS - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
      magnifier