Many Salvadorans in U.S. support country's president amid massive crackdown, abuse allegations
Many Salvadorans in the U.S. support the country's president, Nayib Bukele though he's drawn scrutiny for alleged abuses during a massive crackdown on gangs.
LOS ANGELES — Carlos Zaragoza's 17-year-old son was tortured and killed by gang members in El Salvador three years ago, after refusing to join them.
Zaragoza, a Los Angeles resident, is one of many who support Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's hardhanded strategy against the country's gangs, saying it is necessary to “claim our country and try to provide a better future for our future generations.”
Bukele's recent roundups and crackdowns, which have included reports of fatalities, have drawn international scrutiny. According to human rights groups, authorities have committed “serious human rights violations,” including dozens of arbitrary arrests. Over 43,000 people have been arrested since the state of emergency began in late March, according to official data. There are over 60 “credible reports” of deaths in custody, according to Human Rights Watch.
“Bukele has branded his government as breaking with the past, fighting corruption and ensuring security, an efficient state and opportunities for Salvadorans,” said Juan Pappier, senior Americas researcher at Human Rights Watch. “But in practice his policies show that he’s following similar or in some cases even worse practices than his predecessors.”
But in El Salvador and among the diaspora in the U.S., many are OK with Bukele’s strategy, even if it chips away at the country’s fragile democracy.
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