xj9 [they/them, she/her]

Can’t afford it. It was nice knowing y’all. Sort of.

Based on the chisme I’ve heard on the subject, there was a lot of corrupt normalization of gang authority in government that played a part in that. Which may have also lowered the murder rate without mass incarceration. A lot of the political mandate for Nuevas Ideas came from their anti corruption angle which aimed to root out any gang influence and control over government functions. Which I think is why a lot of locals credit him for ending gang rule in the country. At least from what I gather from my family’s comments on the topic.

I’m interested in getting updated again next time I’m out there.

Bukele enjoys popular support because the alternative to his massive anti gang measures is having the highest intentional murder rate in the world. The US mass deported MS13 and other Salvadoran gangs in the late 80s / early 90s after the Salvadoran civil war and overwhelmed the newly formed government. The gang rule resembled the Spanish feudal order in many ways and a lot of people couldn’t leave their place of birth. Bukele ended that system and re-established state rule over El Salvador.

His methods and motivations are extremely questionable. The campaign itself included attempts to ease the human rights concerns of some critics through claims of rehabilitation for low level gang members. I haven’t been able to substantiate this claim though. Not to mention the suspicious ties to Israel for military equipment, often obscured by Bukele’s Palestinian heritage.

His origins in the deeply corrupt FMLN (a Marxist nationalist organization named after one of the leaders of a mass communist indigenous uprising in the early 1900s) made understanding his moves difficult. Founding Nuevas Ideas (New Ideas) probably should have been a wake up call though. Its not like he started a new workers party or people party. The new ideas were basically bitcoin and arrest every gang member. Though he has invested significantly in infrastructure, medical facilities, and schools, but I don’t know what demographics those facilities are meant to / practically serve.

Growing up, my understanding of communism was shaped by the communist resistance in the civil war. Holding out for the people against US funded death squads. Even making it as far as forming a legitimate government, but nothing really changed after that until Bukele took power. The FMLN enjoyed massive popular support for a long time and mostly used it to take bribes and help the gangs entrench themselves.

Lmk if there’s any points to the history that I’m getting wrong. Happy to make corrections. I’m 2nd generation Salvadoran, this is based on following the news, some study, and chisme from my aunts and uncles who historically supported the communists, but have been sorely disappointed by FMLN.