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A few years ago, El Salvador was one of the most violent nations in the world, with gang killings taking the lives of dozens of people every week.
Nayib Bukele, elected president in 2019, changed all thatâtoday, violence is way down. But his brute-force approach to the problem has involved mass arrests, secret deals, and forced disappearances into a harsh prison systemâwhich is apparently the envy of many in the Trump administration.
Filmmaker Neil Brandvold has covered much of El Salvadorâs transition from dangerous gangland to authoritarian dreamworld, and he joins The Kicker to explain the methods Bukele used to construct his fragile peace.
Read/Watch more:
*Neilâs 2024 Fault Lines documentary on El Salvadorâs gang crackdown.
*Neilâs 2018 Economist video about a religious reform movement for gang members.
*Neilâs 2019 New York Times video including interview with Nayib Bukele.
*El Faroâs 2020 investigative reporting on Bukeleâs early deals with the MS-13 gang.
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