Sarah Larniot: Salvadoran President Vukéli is cracking down on gangs. She says he's using the policy to get himself re-elected. But she says it doesn't address the root causes, such as a lack of opportunities for young people. The Intelligence airs Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT. For confidential support in the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/. In the UK, contact the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit www.samaritans.org.
A country that was not long ago gripped by gang violence and crime is slowly emerging from fear, thanks to a brutal roundup of young men by a wildly popular, social-media-savvy president. The streets may be safer, but now it is El Salvador’s democracy that is in danger—and neighbouring countries’ leaders may take lessons from its budding autocrat.
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