The president of Bolivia, Rodrigo Paz Pereira, requested support from Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele to address the crisis in the Bolivian prison system, marked by overcrowding, lack of infrastructure, and constant violence among inmates. The vice president of El Salvador, Félix Ulloa, confirmed that his country "will extend a helping hand" to the new Bolivian government in matters of security and prison management.
"We are ready to support President Rodrigo Paz in this new era, with a relationship of friendship, collaboration, and mutual support," Ulloa stated to El Deber during his visit to La Paz for the presidential inauguration. According to Paz, both leaders held a phone conversation last week in which the Bolivian president asked Bukele for "help with the prisons, because we are going to need many here."
Nayib Bukele, presidente de El Salvador.
The Bolivian president appreciated the candor and direct style of the Salvadoran president, whose prison policy—focused on building mega-prisons and implementing a state of exception since 2022—has attracted interest in several countries in the region. Despite criticism from international organizations, Bukele's government claims to have drastically reduced homicides and weakened gangs.
In addition to security support, both governments are considering the creation of a bilateral Chamber of Commerce, aiming to strengthen economic and political ties between Central America and the Southern Cone. Ulloa emphasized that Bolivia's openness to regional cooperation "marks a turning point," highlighting that the main focus will be the exchange of experiences in prison control and internal security.
Un pandillero en prisión.
The context is critical: according to official data, in 2024 Bolivia recorded more than 32,000 inmates, even though its prisons' capacity barely reaches half that number. In the first months of 2025, at least seven inmates died in violent incidents, some involving police participation. The former director of the Penitentiary System, Franz Laura, warned that overcrowding, corruption, and the lack of proper classification among detainees "increase violence and the consumption of alcohol and drugs."
Ulloa stressed that cooperation between both countries "will be a turning point" and expressed his confidence that Paz Pereira's leadership will mark the beginning of a period of stability and institutional order. "We wish President Paz the greatest success and want him to know that he can count on our helping hand to continue what begins today," he concluded.
