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The InSight Take: Are President Bukele’s Celebrations Around Security Gains Justified?
President Nayib Bukele in El Salvador is celebrating 1,000 days without homicides since he took power in 2019. But what does that mean exactly, and are there…
In March 2022, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele enacted a state of emergency in response to a brutal gang massacre that left 87 dead. What came next was a crackdown so fierce it took the country’s gangs by surprise.Â
After decades of controlling the country’s urban criminal landscape, the Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) and the Barrio 18 have been virtually dismantled. However, the measure has taken a toll on El Salvador. Around 2% of the country’s population has been imprisoned and reports of human rights abuses have become common.
In this special series, InSight Crime follows the Salvadoran government’s state of emergency and the uncertain future of the MS13 and Barrio 18 gangs.
Articles in this Series
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Criminal Profiles
Mara Salvatrucha (MS13)
The Mara Salvatrucha, or MS13, is perhaps the most notorious street gang in the Western Hemisphere. While it has its origins in the poor, refugee-laden neighborhoods of 1980s Los Angeles, the gang’s reach now spans from Central America to Europe.
Criminal Profiles
Barrio 18
The 18th Street Gang, also known as Barrio 18, is one of the largest youth gangs in the Western Hemisphere, much like its better-known rival, the Mara Salvatrucha (MS13). While the gang has cells operating from Central America to Canada, it has been greatly weakened in El Salvador following a nationwide security crackdown, launched by the Nayib Bukele government in March 2022. Security forces have jailed over 10,000 alleged Barrio 18 members during the crackdown, which has continued into 2023. Those still at large have gone into hiding or fled the country.
All about El Salvador
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