Defense and security specialist Pedro Manuel Casals highlighted the profound change experienced by El Salvador under the leadership of Nayib Bukele, while drawing a parallel with Donald Trump's judicial situation in the United States. According to Casals, both figures faced institutional resistance when trying to implement structural reforms.
"The MS-13 weren't just a gang of criminals, they were a terrorist and criminal organization with political control: they had judges, senators, congressmen, and even presidents", the expert noted.
Casals explained that when Bukele advanced with his reform plan, the Salvadoran Judiciary began to rule extra petita, that is, issuing decisions beyond what was requested, which blocked the changes promoted by the Executive. Faced with this scenario, the president denounced a judicial coup and proposed to the National Assembly the election of new judges, which ultimately led to a transformation of the system.
"El Salvador today is safer than the United States and Canada. It is the safest country in America and the second safest in the world. 20 years ago, if I said this, they would call me crazy", he stated.
According to the analyst, this improvement in security is a direct result of Bukele's political will and his decision to prioritize the rights of honest citizens over the privileges of those who break the law.
