The Coolest Dictator in the World" on the Path to Victory in El Salvador
Salvadoran citizens voted today (Sunday) to decide if President Nayib Bukele, dubbed "the coolest dictator in the world," will be elected for a second term.
Bukele, has been nicknamed "the coolest dictator in history" after adopting controversial methods to fight crime, including the mass incarceration of criminals without distinction, leading to the imprisonment of innocent people without trial.
Additionally, his opponents argue that his reelection for a second term is against the constitution, but this does not change the fact that Bukele is among the country's most popular presidents.
The constitutional challenge was made possible partly because Bukele's party replaced supreme court judges who were not in his way.
Journalists who published a series of stories about the arrest of innocent people were threatened with arrest by senior officials.
According to polls in the country, eight out of ten citizens said they would show further support for Bukele, despite the controversial steps - some say because of them.
In the last two years, the government has arrested more than 76,000 people - about one percent of the entire population of the country.
Despite sharp criticism, these measures have brought peace back to many neighborhoods where crime has dramatically decreased.
Additionally, his opponents argue that his reelection for a second term is against the constitution, but this does not change the fact that Bukele is among the country's most popular presidents.
The constitutional challenge was made possible partly because Bukele's party replaced supreme court judges who were not in his way.
Journalists who published a series of stories about the arrest of innocent people were threatened with arrest by senior officials.
According to polls in the country, eight out of ten citizens said they would show further support for Bukele, despite the controversial steps - some say because of them.
In the last two years, the government has arrested more than 76,000 people - about one percent of the entire population of the country.
Despite sharp criticism, these measures have brought peace back to many neighborhoods where crime has dramatically decreased.
