International
-Sathish Raman
Salvadoran
President
Nayib
Bukele,
known
for
his
stringent
measures
against
street
gangs,
has
now
threatened
similar
actions
against
price
gougers.
Since
2022,
Bukele
has
detained
tens
of
thousands
of
suspected
gang
members,
often
with
minimal
evidence,
and
showcased
them
being
marched
in
their
underwear
through
large
new
prisons.
image
In
a
speech
on
Friday
night,
Bukele
warned
wholesalers
and
distributors
responsible
for
recent
sharp
increases
in
food
and
basic
goods
prices.
“I
am
going
to
issue
a
call,
like
we
did
to
the
gangs
at
the
start
of
2019,”
Bukele
said,
referring
to
his
first
year
in
office.
“We
told
them
either
stop
killing
people,
or
don’t
complain
about
what
happens
afterward.”
He
continued,
“Well,
I’m
going
to
issue
a
message
to
the
importers,
distributors
and
food
wholesalers:
stop
abusing
the
people
of
El
Salvador,
or
don’t
complain
about
what
happens
afterward.”
Emergency
Powers
and
Popularity
Bukele
was
recently
reelected
with
85%
of
the
vote
and
holds
control
over
Congress.
He
has
been
granted
special
emergency
powers
to
combat
gangs
for
over
two
years.
While
these
powers
likely
don’t
permit
him
to
imprison
individuals
for
high
pricing
alone,
he
claimed
there
is
evidence
that
some
wholesalers
or
importers
have
engaged
in
tax
evasion,
bribery,
and
smuggling—crimes
that
could
lead
to
imprisonment.
The
Salvadoran
government
reported
that
inspectors
found
some
products
had
tripled
in
price.
Although
fines
are
an
option,
they
may
not
suffice.
The
government
also
plans
to
establish
20
sales
points
to
distribute
food
“at
fair
prices.”
This
aligns
with
Bukele’s
character,
who
once
called
himself
the
“world’s
coolest
dictator.”
Impact
on
Crime
Rates
Bukele’s
aggressive
stance
against
powerful
gangs
has
earned
him
significant
popularity.
These
gangs
once
dominated
many
neighborhoods,
extorting
protection
money
from
businesses
and
residents.
His
crackdown
has
transformed
El
Salvador
from
one
of
the
world’s
murder
capitals
into
one
of
Latin
America’s
safest
countries.
The
state
of
emergency
declared
in
2022
remains
in
effect
and
has
led
to
the
arrest
of
78,175
suspected
gang
members.
Rights
groups
argue
these
arrests
are
often
arbitrary,
based
on
appearance
or
location.
The
government
has
released
about
7,000
individuals
due
to
insufficient
evidence.
Bukele
emphasized
that
his
threats
are
genuine
and
not
mere
bluster.
“I
expect
the
prices
to
come
down
by
tomorrow
or
there
are
going
to
be
problems,”
he
stated
firmly.
