02_Bukele_El Salvador_43

President Nayib Bukele is seen on television in Mariona, a neighborhood in San Salvador controlled by the MS-13 street gang, as he discusses his dismissal of the country’s attorney general and Supreme Court judges on May 4, 2021. Bukele’s handpicked replacement of the Supreme Court judges effectively gave him control over all three branches of government. His absolute command has allowed him to extend the state of emergency for 10 months. Today, the top police commander reports directly to Bukele, and the Bukele-controlled Supreme Court has created “specialized courts” specifically to review arrests stemming from the state of emergency. Despite these authoritarian moves, Bukele remains one of the most popular leaders in Latin America.

A cluttered room with religious and political imagery, featuring a TV showing a political figure and various personal items scattered about. The walls are painted teal and adorned with posters and decorations.