In a agency and defiant speech, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele marked the primary yr of his second time period by highlighting the nation’s transformation when it comes to safety, whereas responding to his worldwide critics with a transparent message: «I’d slightly be referred to as a dictator than watch Salvadorans die within the streets.»
Bukele, whose administration has been denounced by varied worldwide organizations for alleged human rights violations beneath the state of exception, acknowledged that the outcomes converse for themselves. “They’ve referred to as us all types of issues. Me personally, I’ve been referred to as a dictator by each media outlet that wished to — from Salvadoran pamphlets to worldwide ones, even probably the most prestigious,” he mentioned.
Nevertheless, removed from displaying concern about these criticisms, the president emphasised that they don’t have an effect on him. “You realize what? I couldn’t care much less in the event that they name me a dictator,” he declared. “I desire grabbing my cellphone and studying ‘dictator, dictator’ within the headlines, slightly than ‘homicide, homicide’ like earlier than.”
Throughout his deal with, Bukele defended the extraordinary measures his authorities has applied to fight gangs, which, in keeping with official knowledge, have drastically lowered homicides within the nation. “I’d slightly be referred to as a dictator if it signifies that Salvadorans can lastly reside in peace,” he reiterated.
The president additionally criticized those that, in his view, give attention to semantics whereas his authorities stays centered on tangible outcomes. “Allow them to keep caught debating semantics. We’ll keep centered on reaching outcomes,” he mentioned. “And opposite to the lies they unfold day and night time, now we have extra outcomes than some other authorities in our complete historical past.”
This message comes as El Salvador reaches historic ranges of public security and climbs in each regional and international rankings as one of many most secure international locations within the Western Hemisphere, in keeping with polling agency CID Gallup.
