El Salvador

All About El Salvador

NEWS

Evidence of Gang Negotiations Belie El Salvador President’s Claims

BARRIO 18 / 24 AUG 2021

A scrapped investigation by El Salvador’s former Attorney General has revealed a massive trove of evidence that the administration of President Nayib Bukele secretly negotiated with three of the country’s…

El Salvador Mayors Cash in on Migrant Smuggling

EL SALVADOR / 5 AUG 2021

In two separate cases in El Salvador, mayors are accused of heading migrant smuggling rings, a crime that, like drug trafficking, local officials in border regions are well…

Unclear Criteria Undermine US Corruption List in Central America

EL SALVADOR / 5 JUL 2021

The United States has released a highly-anticipated report on corrupt actors in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, but the lack of clear criteria for those placed on the list may…

Did an MS13-El Salvador Govt Pact Temporarily Halt Gang Extraditions?

EL SALVADOR / 1 JUL 2021

Multiple sources from the United States and El Salvador say the recent decision to temporarily halt the extradition of several top MS13 leaders to face US charges may be related…

‘Blue’: The Story of MS13’s First ‘Terrorist’

EL SALVADOR / 23 JUN 2021

On the eve of the extradition of top leaders of El Salvador’s feared Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) gang to the United States on terrorism charges, InSight Crime recounts the story of…

Coup de Grâce for El Salvador's Anti-Corruption Commission

EL SALVADOR / 7 JUN 2021

The announcement of the end of El Salvador’s anti-graft commission, which had been backed by the Organization of American States, could be the nail in the coffin for international investigative…

Chepe Diablo, Long Accused Cartel Leader, Let Off the Hook in El Salvador

CHEPE DIABLO / 25 MAY 2021

A business magnate who is an alleged leader of El Salvador’s Texis Cartel has escaped justice once again, after a court dropped money laundering charges against him.

Will US-Central America Relations Falter With Latest Corruption List?

EL SALVADOR / 18 MAY 2021

Though far from revelatory, a new list of officials the United States government suspects of corruption and drug trafficking in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras may further roil Washington's relationships…

Women Taking Bigger Role in Central America Extortion Schemes

EL SALVADOR / 11 MAY 2021

A new report suggests women are increasingly playing an active role in the extortion activities of Central American gangs -- part of a larger pattern in which women's roles in…

Pandemic Spending Immunity Deepens El Salvador Corruption Concerns

COVID AND CRIME / 10 MAY 2021

With a new law granting immunity to El Salvador officials accused of mismanaging coronavirus funds and the resignation of a prosecutor looking into pandemic-related spending, President Nayib Bukele and allies…

Ousting of El Salvador's Top Prosecutor Imperils Rule of Law

EL SALVADOR / 3 MAY 2021

The decision by legislators aligned with El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele to oust the country’s top prosecutor may spell the end of several crucial organized crime cases.

'Unforgivable' Director: 'If the Gang Knows You're Gay, They Kill You'

BARRIO 18 / 25 APR 2021

The ideas of masculinity, discrimination and homophobia within El Salvador's gangs are at the heart of "Unforgivable," a documentary who explores how these under-reported topics affect gang violence.

Report: Soaring Disappearances in El Salvador Linked to Gang Pacts

EL SALVADOR / 21 APR 2021

A recently published report warns that pacts made between gangs and public officials to lower homicides in El Salvador will only promote the wider use of forced disappearances…

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About InSight Crime

ABOUT US

THE ORGANIZATION

Unraveling the Web of Elites Connected to Organized Crime

27 JUL 2021

InSight Crime published Elites and Organized Crime in Nicaragua, a deep dive into the relationships between criminal actors and elites in that Central American nation.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Greater Focus on US-Mexico Border

20 JUL 2021

InSight Crime has decided to turn many of its investigative resources towards understanding and chronicling the criminal dynamics along the US-Mexico border.

THE ORGANIZATION

Key Arrests and Police Budget Increases Due to InSight Crime Investigations

8 JUL 2021

With Memo Fantasma’s arrest, InSight Crime has proven that our investigations can and will uncover major criminal threats in the Americas.

THE ORGANIZATION

Organized Crime’s Influence on Gender-Based Violence

30 JUN 2021

InSight Crime investigator Laura N. Ávila spoke on organized crime and gender-based violence at the launch of a research project by the United Nations Development Programme.