What Does Bukelismo Mean for Latin America?

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El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele was reelected in a landslide after bringing peace to a country that had been wracked by gang violence for years. But improved security has come at a high cost for El Salvadorans, with Bukele presiding over mass incarceration, human rights violations, increasing corruption, and a government-controlled judiciary. Bukele has embraced charges of authoritarianism, calling himself the “world’s coolest dictator.”

El Salvador’s success has won admiration from around Latin America, and other leaders seeking to counter rising crime are imitating Bukele’s mano dura policies. Moreover, Bukele seems eager to export his model. 

Join Hudson Institute for a conversation with leading observers as they examine Bukele’s record and discuss what the adoption of the Bukele model could mean for other countries in the region.