El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, recently walked the stark halls of the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a facility now holding tens of thousands of alleged gang members. His message was chillingly direct: any bloodshed on the streets committed by retaliating gangs would be met with absolute deprivation for those imprisoned.
Bukele’s uncompromising approach to gang violence has ignited a global debate. He’s hailed as a hero by some, a controversial figure by others, but undeniably, he’s dramatically altered El Salvador’s trajectory. Within a remarkably short period, he’s overseen the arrest of 100,000 gang members, transforming one of the world’s most dangerous nations into a haven of relative peace.
Addressing rumors of gang retaliation against civilians, Bukele issued a stark warning during a press conference. He vowed that any attacks on innocent citizens would result in a complete cessation of food supplies to the imprisoned gang members. “Do that, and there won’t be a single meal in prison,” he declared, his voice unwavering.
He dismissed anticipated criticism from international organizations, stating bluntly that he wouldn’t prioritize their concerns over the safety of his people. He challenged them to intervene directly, offering to relinquish his prisoners – “two for one” – if they believed they could better protect them.
Bukele’s core philosophy is simple: imprisonment isn’t about punishment, but about removing a threat. He believes locking up criminals is the most effective way to prevent them from inflicting harm on society. This strategy, he insists, isn’t unique to El Salvador; it requires only the political will to implement.
In a pointed critique, Bukele recently confronted the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, questioning how any government could allow criminal organizations to control vast territories. He argued that the notion of a state being unable to defeat crime is fundamentally “absurd,” asserting that the power of the state – the “Leviathan” – always surpasses that of any criminal entity.
He dismantled the common argument that drug trafficking alone fuels the power of these groups. While acknowledging El Salvador’s own fight against drugs, he pointed to Europe, where drug consumption is demonstrably higher, yet cartels do not control entire regions. The difference, he contends, lies in the state’s unwavering control of its territory.
In stark contrast, Bukele argued that parts of Latin America have effectively surrendered control, allowing cartels and gangs to operate with impunity. He described a situation where governments concede territory, leaving areas to the dominion of criminal organizations.
The scale of this control is staggering. While a direct comparison is complex, the combined land area controlled or influenced by criminal groups in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Brazil – including organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel and Comando Vermelho – approaches the size of Europe itself.
This isn’t about formal ownership, but about parallel governance. Cartels collect extortion payments, enforce their own laws, control movement, and dictate economic activity. Even where the state maintains a nominal presence, its authority is often undermined by cartel influence.
U.S. intelligence estimates suggest cartels control or influence 30-35% of Mexican territory, but this figure likely underestimates the true extent of their power. Cartel influence permeates all levels of government, limiting the ability to enact policies that threaten their interests.
Colombia and Brazil face similar challenges, with armed groups and cartels controlling vast rural areas, particularly those involved in coca production. These organizations are expanding their reach, even into remote regions like the Amazon rainforest.
Modern cartels have evolved beyond controlling large, contiguous blocks of land. They now dominate strategic corridors – ports, mountain passes, border towns – and are employing sophisticated tactics like drone surveillance and influencing local elections to establish a form of hybrid control.
Bukele’s central question remains: how can a criminal organization control territory if the government is capable of removing them? His answer is blunt and accusatory: “Because they are in the government.”
