El Salvadoran president has advice for Trump and a spiritual insight into his triumph over MS-13



Tucker Carlson recently interviewed Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, 42, who was re-elected earlier this year with over 83% of the vote. Interested in possible lessons for the U.S., Carlson pressed Bukele about his successful transformation of the Latin American country from a blood-soaked gangland into the second-safest country in the Western Hemisphere.

While the two discussed possible replicable successes that the United States could benefit from as well as God's role in MS-13's defeat, the Salvadoran president also obliged Carlson in providing former President Donald Trump with some advice in light of the Republican's recent conviction before a Democratic judge in a Democratic enclave on charges brought by a Democratic prosecutor.

Self-congratulatory losers

"What advice would you give to another former democratically elected leader seeking office who is facing jail time?" asked Carlson.

After a pregnant pause, Carlson added, "Anyone, just if there was such a person."

"If there was a way to stop the candidacy, then he's probably in trouble," said Bukele. "But if there's no way to stop him from competing in the election, all the things that they do to him will just give him more votes."

'They're making a huge mistake.'

"That seems to be happening," Carlson replied.

"Either you stop the candidacy or you let him be," said Bukele. "But just, you know, hitting him with — you're making the greatest campaign ever."

When pressed on whether he thinks Democrats are conscious that their efforts to imprison the presumptive Republican nominee ahead of the general election might backfire, Bukele indicated that some are likely aware, but others are ostensibly preoccupied chasing after the admiration of their peers and congratulating themselves.

"They're making a huge mistake. Huge, huge mistake," added Bukele.

The Salvadoran president's suggestion that Trump might be best served leaning into Democrats' attacks so long as the attacks do not preclude him from competing in the election was far from the only insight he shared with Carlson.

To replicate a 'miracle'

Early in the interview, Carlson asked, "If you can fix El Salvador, what are the lessons for the rest of us? What did you do first?"

'Once you achieve peace, you can struggle for all the other things.'

"You cannot do anything if you do not have peace. Right. And when I say peace, I include wars, civil wars, invasion, crime," said the president. "Once you achieve peace, you can struggle for all the other things."

Blaze News previously reported that there were 51 homicides per 100,000 in 2018, the year prior to Bukele's election. Under his leadership, the homicide rate fell to 7.8, such that El Salvador witnessed fewer homicides that year (495) than were reported in Democrat-run Chicago during the same period (695). Reuters indicated that crime dropped again last year by an estimated 70%, leaving the country with a murder rate of 2.4 per every 100,000.

The former "murder capital of the world" claimed earlier this month that the rate in 2024 presently now sits at two homicides per every 100,000. While Canada long had the lowest murder rate in the Americas, its rate has alternatively climbed every year from 2018 to 2022, such that it is poised to lose the top spot to El Salvador if it has not already.

To bring about the peace he referenced in his conversation with Carlson, Bukele's administration waged war on terroristic gangs, cracked down on some civil rights, and tossed 1% of the adult population in jail, citing proven and alleged gang affiliations.

"I can tell you the official formula [for busting the gangs] and the real formula," Bukele told Carlson. "So the official formula is that we did a plan ... that was comprised of phases. So we rolled out the first phase and then the next one, then the next one. And then gangs started attacking back, so we had to roll out everything at once."

Bukele noted that the accelerated crackdown prompted by the gangs' counteroffensive ultimately worked.

"In a couple of weeks the country was transformed because the gangs were not yet arrested but they were on the run," said the president. "We basically pacified the country in a couple of weeks.

To successfully execute each phase, Bukele indicated he doubled the size of the army and equipped it to effectively combat the gangs.

While effective strategy and force of arms were apparently the official formula for success, Bukele indicated the unofficial formula was prayer.

'Victory was because we won the spiritual war.'

"It's a miracle," said Bukele. "When gangs started attacking us back, basically, they killed 87 people in three days, which for a country of 6 million people is crazy."

Bukele said that this bloodletting made clear that the defeat of 70,000 gangsters, clearly willing to inflict maximum damage on the country's 6 million citizens, was an "impossible task."

The president told Carlson that at the time, he met with his security Cabinet and said, "We are looking into an impossible mission here, so we pray."

Sure enough, everyone present — all apparently believers — apparently asked God for wisdom, for minimal civilian casualties, and for support in their battle against MS-13, which Bukele underscored is a "satanic" gang.

"Victory was because we won the spiritual war," concluded Bukele. "Because [we] didn't have competition. I mean, they were satanic. I think that made it easier."

— (@)

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The Economist beclowns itself, recommending against adoption of El Salvador's successful anti-crime policies



The Economist claims to "produce journalism of sometimes radical opinion with a reverence for facts." Judging from a recent Economist article concerning Latin America's problems with crime, it appears the London-based publication might be short on reverence.

A May 8 article entitled "How to pacify the world's most violent region" kicks off with a note on crime in Durán, Ecuador, where the murder rate last year was 148 per 100,000 residents. The article suggests that Durán is the "worst example of a scourge that has brought misery to Latin America. Despite being home to just 8% of the world's population, the region accounts for a third of its murders."

The anonymous author suggested that to remedy such nightmarish states of play, Latin American leaders might reflexively resort to "mano dura, the iron fist."

'Officials from across the region praise and seek to copy what they call the "Bukele model." They shouldnt.'

While admitting that this tough-on-crime approach has recently worked, the Economist author concluded that the crime-fighting approach that transformed El Salvador from a gang-ravaged and blood-soaked battlefield into a nation with fewer murders nationally than Chicago experiences in a year is not worth attempting.

"Officials from across the region praise and seek to copy what they call the 'Bukele model.' They shouldn't," wrote the anonymous author.

The article has been slapped with a Community Notes fact-check on X and ridiculed by Bukele himself.

The 'Bukele model'

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, 42, was re-elected president earlier this year with over 83% of the vote. His party also swept the National Assembly, securing 58 out of 60 seats.

A large part of what has made Bukele so beloved and popular amongst Salvadorans is his approach to crime. Bukele regards violent crime as a cancer and gangs as "metastases" in need of excision.

Blaze News previously reported that there were 51 homicides per 100,000 in 2018, the year prior to Bukele's election. Under his leadership, the homicide rate had fallen to 7.8 by 2022 such that the country saw fewer homicides that year (495) than were reported in Chicago during the same time period (695).

According to Reuters, Salvadoran security authorities observed the number of homicides drop again in 2023, this time by 70%, leaving the nation with a murder rate of 2.4 per every 100,000, bested only by Canada. America's mortality rate, by way of comparison, is 8 per 100,000.

In order to bring about this end, Bukele's administration took extreme measures, admittedly cracking down on some civil rights and throwing over 1% of the adult population into jail. The anti-crime measures have largely angered foreign leftists such as Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and liberal publications, including the Economist.

The armchair critic's model

The anonymous Economist author stated as a fact that the Bukele model "undermines justice systems and leads to authoritarianism" then concluded it "will not work elsewhere."

The author reasoned that the Bukele-style crackdown worked in El Salvador but would alternatively fail in Mexico or Ecuador because of the caliber of the gangs, which have included MS-13.

The Economist did not go so far as to suggest criminal groups in other Latin American countries are impervious to bullets. Instead, it suggested they are "much richer and better armed and can often draw on help from foreign criminal affiliates. ... Such groups are unlikely to be defeated through force alone."

Instead of throwing violent criminals in prison or the ground, the Economist recommended the legalization of cocaine production and consumption. Recognizing, however, that is unlikely to happen, the anonymous author suggested that governments spare the gangs and bosses and instead "aim to discourage their most violent members from brutal acts."

In addition to creating government incentives for murderers not to keep murdering — citing Mexico as an exemplar — the Economist recommended leaning on police action contra military action; avoid mass incarceration; and keeping kids in school.

Backlash

When shared to X, the article was swiftly tagged with a community note linking to a Reuters article that highlights the precipitous drop in crime under the Bukele model.

Bukele responded to the article, which was captioned, "Gangs are gaining ground in Latin America. This is why iron-fist policies won't beat them back," with "We just did."

In addition to sharing the article, Bukele noted in a follow up, "There was a 70% drop in 2023… However, since the approval of the Exception Regime, there has been a 86% drop, and since we entered the government in 2019, the drop has reached 95%. We project a 97% drop for 2024."

There was a 70% drop in 2023\u2026\n\nHowever, since the approval of the Exception Regime, there has been a 86% drop, and since we entered the government in 2019, the drop has reached 95%.\n\nWe project a 97% drop for 2024.\n\nReceipts: https://t.co/SMlpyQcaf6
— (@)

Max Keiser, a senior adviser to Bukele and so-called Bitcoin bull, tweeted, "Restoring human rights for 6 1/2 million Salvadorans has virtually eliminated gang violence. El Salvador is now the safest country in the hemisphere. The Economist's blatant and grotesque act of journalistic malpractice here is mind boggling."

Blaze News columnist Auron MacIntyre responded, "The main purpose of the press is to lecture you about the evils of living in a well ordered and prosperous society."

The main purpose of the press is to lecture you about the evils of living in a well ordered and prosperous society
— (@)

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El Salvadoran president coolly brushes off Ilhan Omar's election meddling, then flips her critique



Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) took a break from Somali politicking Wednesday to call on the Biden administration to meddle in El Salvador's domestic affairs ahead of its national election.

El Salvador's hugely popular president thanked the radical congresswoman for sparing him from her endorsement ahead of his likely re-election Sunday. After indicating precisely what her "attacks" meant to him, President Nayib Bukele flipped the script on Omar and other concern-mongers.

A 'threat to democracy' supported by 90% of voters

Bukele, 42, has transformed El Salvador from a blood-soaked gangland into a nation with the second-lowest homicide rate in the Americas — all inside a five-year window.

There were 51 homicides per 100,000 in 2018, the year prior to Bukele's initial election. The homicide rate fell to 7.8 in 2022 under his leadership, such that El Salvador saw fewer homicides that year (495) than were reported in Chicago during the same period (695). The homicide rate in El Salvador last year was reportedly 2.4 per 100,000.

To achieve this end, Bukele's administration has taken extreme measures, admittedly overstepping and cracking down on some civil rights. His administration has also allegedly thrown over 2% of the adult population behind bars, most of whom are supposedly suspected or known gang members.

Bukele's crackdown on crime, selective suspension of civil liberties, and warrantless arrests have earned him the loathing of both Democrats and liberal publications — the Economist said he was poised to "become Latin America's first Millennial dictator." However, his ability to bring relative peace to El Salvador has also won him the support of his countrymen.

According to Reuters, Bukele's approval ratings hover around 90%. The South China Morning Post indicated that a January 2024 opinion poll from the University of Central America's Public Opinion Institute indicated 82% of voters supported Bukele. By way of contrast, the latest Economist/YouGov poll put President Joe Biden's disapproval rating at 54%.

Tyler Mattiace, Americas researcher at Human Rights Watch, characterized Bukele as "one of the biggest risks for human rights and for democracy that we see in Latin America right now" but acknowledged the president is popular because of his perceived efficacy.

"Bukele is incredibly popular," said Mattiace. "We see a growing number of people in countries across Latin America who are supporting this kind of authoritarian populism because they believe that it could be the only way to address rising levels of violence."

Bukele's approach might be appealing to those nations that observed the utter failure of leftist Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's "hugs not bullets" approach.

Omar gets involved in another foreign election

Just days after supporting the re-election of Said Abdullahi Deni, head of the northeastern Somali state of Puntland, Rep. Ilhan Omar led other leftist Democrats in urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to "address ongoing threats to democracy and human rights in El Salvador."

"President Bukele is amassing power and establishing authoritarian rule in El Salvador. The Members of Congress are urging the State Department to review its relationship with El Salvador and use America's diplomatic influence to defend democratic values," said a statement accompanying the letter.

Democrats and the liberal media have in recent weeks increasingly conflated democracy and its well-being with electoral results they find preferable.

"President Bukele has also, during his first term, overseen the militarized harassment of the legislature, a significant erosion of judicial independence, and the de facto criminalization of civil society," said the letter. "Much of this persecution has been done with the active complicity of El Salvador's judicial system."

While Omar's letter suggested that "it is not the place of the United States government to determine who is eligible to run for President in a foreign country, nor to pick winners," she nevertheless suggested that the United States lean on El Salvador ahead of its election.

The letter tells Blinken to

  • "restrict security assistance and other support for the Salvadoran police and military";
  • rework aid mechanisms to ensure direct funding to NGOs and "Salvadoran civil society" rather than through intermediaries;
  • denounce the legal mechanism by which Bukele has curbed gang violence; and
  • send "an unequivocal message on the importance of respecting constitutional and democratic norms."

"The State Dept must review its relationship with El Salvador and defend democratic values," added Omar. "The Salvadoran people deserve free and fair elections without fear of repression."

The congresswoman's post was quickly slapped with community notes highlighting that Bukele was democratically elected with a clear majority in 2019; his party secured a majority in the legislative assembly; and a "president can be re-elected in El Salvador if in the 6 months prior to taking office he was not in charge."

Bukele thanks Omar

Bukele responded to Omar Wednesday on X, writing, "We are HONORED to receive your attacks, just days before OUR election."

"I would be very worried if we had your support," added Bukele. "Thank you."

In addition to retweeting Omar's post, ostensibly as a badge of honor, Bukele turned Omar's critique around, writing, "I think the United States should have free and fair elections."

I think the United States should have free and fair elections.
— (@)

The El Salvadoran president continued trolling Omar, sharing a critic's comment noting, "Democrats ask to interfere in El Salvador's elections so that they are 'clean.' The joke tells itself."

Bukele also shared a comment stating, "Considering recent history, perhaps [Bukele] could send some Salvadorian electoral officials to the US to help ensure free and fair elections."

— (@)

Milena Mayorga, El Salvador's ambassador to the U.S., added, "Then they say they do not interfere in our elections."

Soon, others piled on, ridiculing Omar and celebrating Bukele's response.

Former Rep. Mayra Flores Vallejo (R-Texas) wrote, "We need more Presidents like [Bukele] in the world. @Ilhan doesn't represent America. She has not love or respect for our country."

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) noted that Bukele "is bringing peace and prosperity to El Salvador. He's doing a fantastic job of ridding their streets of violent cartel thugs and fighting for his people!"

Roger Kimball, editor and publisher of the New Criterion, stressed that Bukele, "along with Javier Millei, is the most impressive leader in the Western hemisphere."

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