El Salvador offers itself as an example to reduce homicides in the U.S.

President Nayib Bukele raised this thursday the possibility of El Salvador collaborating with the United States to reduce its homicide rate. His statement comes in response to a message from Elon Musk, owner of the social network X, who highlighted the salvadoran achievements in security.

Musk, an ally of President-elect Donald Trump, shared on his profile: “This has to happen and it will happen in the United States”, referring to the drop in homicides in El Salvador. Bukele responded in English: “We could help…”, generating reactions in both nations.

According to official data, El Salvador closed 2024 with only 114 homicides, a 26% reduction from the previous year. These figures reinforce the affirmation of the Attorney General, Rodolfo Delgado, who highlighted that the country has reached historic numbers in the fight against crime.

With a rate of 1.9 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, El Salvador is positioned as the safest country in the Western Hemisphere. This achievement is attributed to the Territorial Control Plan and the exception regime implemented since 2022.

However, the exception regime has been criticized. Various organizations report more than 6,400 complaints of human rights violations, including torture and deaths in state custody. These allegations raise questions about the human cost of security policies.