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Not so long ago, you would probably laugh at the prospect of being dominated by gangs El Salvadorwhere corruption is supposedly endemic and violent crime is rampant, once appearing on the regular list of the safest countries in the world.
We would probably do that ourselves at some point, but as unlikely as it sounds, especially if you’ve become accustomed to the scathing headlines from the infamous Latin American state, the impossible happened:
According to the latest Global Security Report from Gallup, one of the most reputable sources for assessing security and living standards, El Salvador is now the 8th safest country worldwide.
So what has changed?
How did El Salvador get here?
The Global Security Report is based primarily on locals’ perceptions of security in their hometown: should they maintain a higher level of situational awareness when leaving home?
Do they feel tense when walking alone at night?
Is becoming a victim of violence an urgent problem?
Only 8 years ago30% of El Salvadorians answered these questions positively, which was hardly surprising given the country’s strategic location for the Central American drug trade, its widespread gun violence, and its status as an embracer of human trafficking – or should we say former ?
Love him or hate him, since coming to power, President Nayib Bukele has taken a tougher stance on crime than his predecessors ever did, introducing a “state of exception” in March 2022 that would allow the mass incarceration of gang members made.
Despite a temporary outcry over human rights abuses and arbitrary arrests, its effectiveness in dramatically reducing crime remains cannot be so easily underestimated: from a murder rate of 105 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015, the country now has a updated rate of only 2.4 per 100,000.
In other words, the number of heinous acts has increased collapsed.
As a result more than 88% of El Salvadorians now believe their country is safeputting the country at number 8 in the Global Security Report, surprisingly ahead of ultra-secure European countries such as Iceland and Switzerland.
Based on this report, it is also the safest country in the entire Western Hemisphere, ahead of Canada, but how reliable is the data?
So how safe is El Salvador?
As we mentioned earlier, the Gallup report is one of the most trusted sources for assessing safety levels worldwide because it is based on feedback from ordinary citizens. still some nuances to observe.
El Salvadorians may feel safer walking alone at night than their Swiss or Icelandic counterparts, but at the same time we must remember that safety perceptions in Europe as a whole decreased considerable in recent years.
In Switzerland, for example, serious violent crimes have increased “by about a third” over the past decade, as noted by Swiss Infoalthough it is still well below acceptable levels compared to the global average.
Imagine living in a country where, until a few years ago, you wouldn’t leave your house without anxiously looking back, sharing your live location with friends, or even carrying a cheaper spare phone to hand in instead of your phone. factual phone in case you get robbed.
Suddenly your city feels like one lot safer, a majority of the gangs have been wiped off the streets leaving your usual back alley, petty criminals are easy to deal with, and life isn’t exactly perfect, but at least it’s not as terrible as it once was.
Your safety perception will likely skyrocket considerable.
Now imagine living in a mountain town in the Swiss Alps, where the death of a certain 92-year-old Mrs. Heffelfinger – or whatever the knitting cat lady down the street is called – would generally be considered a traumatizing collective experience. .
Suddenly a truckload of irregular migrants from North Africa is dropped in front of your local parish, social cohesion is broken and all kinds of problems arise from their apparent inability to integrate or fully participate in society.
That’s not a right-wing discussion, it is a verifiable figure:
Such as the Swiss police and prosecutors to confirmThere has been a ‘significant’ increase in the number of crimes attributed to undocumented migrants.
Add to that the wider European border crisis, and you’ll begin to understand why the Swiss feel less safe in their neck of the woods. even Switzerland is still considered extremely safe by all existing standards.
El Salvador is low risk by Latin American standards
Is El Salvador really safe?
Well, we wouldn’t be the first to test out what it’s like to walk unaccompanied down a deserted, dimly lit street with our newly purchased iPhones in hand, dripping with jewelry and shiny Nike shoes, especially in a suburb with a reputation, but sure, El Salvador has become safer.
Again, safe-rrr.
What we’re trying to say is that locals feel that their hometown is less dangerous than it used to be, and that after the drastic changes in recent years, they are likely to respond positively to a safety survey.
At the same time, we suspect that an inexperienced Swiss or Icelander would not share his opinion if he were suddenly dropped in the middle of San Salvador, Salvador’s bustling capital, and left to his own devices.
In short, El Salvador is now a destination with a lower risk Through Latin American standards.
Does the US State Department agree that El Salvador is safe?
Washington continues to list the emerging Latin American hub as a Level 3 country, meaning Americans should “reconsider” their visit due to higher crime levels in certain states and municipalities, and the ongoing state of emergency.
At the same time, they note that there has been a decline in gang-related activities.
Judging from its excellent security performance, it may not be long before El Salvador is upgraded to a near-perfect Level 2, or even a perfect level 1:
Last August, U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz, chairman of the Congressional El Salvador Caucus, addressed a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinker requesting that El Salvador’s security alert be downgraded to Level 1.
Gaetz argues that the incarceration of more than 75,000 violent gangsters and the steady decline in homicide rates between 2015 and 2024 are enough to prove that Americans should not be discouraged from visiting El Salvador, now a thriving destination famous for its volcanic nature, Maya ruins and pristine beaches.
In his letter, the congressman adds that El Salvador’s homicide rate is now “less than that of almost every major city in the United States.”
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