El Salvador has undergone a dramatic transformation in public security after President Nayib Bukele’s crackdown on organized crime led to a steep drop in reported homicides.
Government figures cited in reports showed that El Salvador recorded 2,398 homicides in 2019, the year Bukele assumed office. By 2024, the figure had fallen to 114, lowering the country’s homicide rate to 1.9 per 100,000 people. Reports citing Salvadoran government data later placed the rate at about 1.3 per 100,000 people in 2025.
The decline came after Bukele implemented the Territorial Control Plan, sending police and military personnel into areas heavily affected by gang activity. In March 2022, the government declared a state of emergency following a spike in killings. The campaign resulted in more than 85,000 arrests of suspected gang members, according to data cited in reports.
The security push also influenced how Salvadorans viewed their safety. A Gallup survey cited in reports found that 88% of respondents said they felt safe walking alone at night in their communities. El Salvador was subsequently ranked among the world’s safest countries in Gallup’s 2023 Global Safety Report.
Bukele’s administration opened the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, in 2023 as another major component of its crackdown on organized crime. The prison reportedly holds up to 40,000 inmates and has become a defining symbol of Bukele’s security campaign.
El Salvador’s transformation has attracted global attention, with supporters highlighting the dramatic reduction in violence and improvements in public safety. Critics, however, have raised human rights concerns over the emergency measures, including questions about due process and reports of alleged abuses.
The country’s shift continues to draw international scrutiny as El Salvador attempts to redefine its image following decades of gang violence.
