Nayib Bukele’s El Salvador: Gang crackdown or return to dictatorship?

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele is a millennial social media sensation, who has ruled with an iron fist over the last year, instituting a state of exception and locking up 65,000 suspected gang members. For much of the country, his policies have been an overwhelming success, slashing crime rates like never seen. But, thousands of family members of the detained say their loved ones are innocent. On May 1, they led a huge International Workers Day march against the government. Their stories, and the signs they carry, are eerily reminiscent. In the 1970s and 80s, thirty thousand innocent civilians were detained, disappeared and murdered during El Salvador’s armed internal conflict and under brutal US-backed authoritarian regimes. Today, many fear the return of dictatorship. Production/Post-Production: Michael Fox The Real News is an independent, viewer-supported, radical media network. Help us expand our in-depth analysis and coverage from Baltimore to Bangladesh by subscribing and becoming a member today! Donate: Sign up for our newsletter: Like us on Facebook: Follow us on Twitter: