Nayib Bukele, the savior of El Salvador?

[irjO]

However, narrative-wise, the reasoning that it's a bad idea to really do something about the cartels because 'the cancer has become so bad' seems quite crazy to me. Continuing the analogy, it's like condemning a patient to die.

Actually, El Salvador was in a worst shape than Mexico when it comes to how controlled the country was from La Mara. Continuing to that analogy, was in a “stage 4” cancer. I knew people from there who were telling me stories that had a big impact on me about how can someone live under those circumstances.
Yes, Mexico have war-like armed cartels, but the quality of life isn’t as bad as how it was in El Salvador.

 

[Alejo]

But wait... there's a distinction to be made here.

Generally when one uses the word "dictator" one uses it to mean something along the lines of: a leader who has usurped power and uses whatever means necessary to remain in power and rule by force, torture, lies, corruption, etc, and AGAINST the will of the population for his/her own selfish reasons, which happen to go against the well being of the population that he rules.

What people in Russia and El Salvador have decided is that they like the direction in which their country is moving, and so allowing for consecutive terms so that things remain moving in that direction is within their right, isn't it? isn't that the expression of democracy?

So is he staying in power longer than AMLO for instance? sure.. but is he unpopular? only outside of El Salvador, at which point, who cares? He committed to please and enhance the lives of Salvadorians, not to please anyone else on earth. As I see it, which is probably the reason people are calling for the same approach in Ecuador, Peru, Mexico etc, is.. the choice El Salvador had at some point was: We either uphold the current law and nothing changes, or... we allow this one guy to bend it and change it but things improve, and things improved.

Many in Mexico would've liked AMLO to remain, and Petro in Colombia to remain for instance, but upholding the constitution was more important, so they got what they wanted.. criminal stability and a nice breather of a few years, then right back to status quo which in El Salvador, was the rule of gangs which do, by the way, rule as dictators with cruelty and do not give a damn about the constitution.

Is this guy a saint? I do not know, but I am sure that he's got human flaws, and he may at one point falter, but right now.. people in El Salvador love what he's done for their country and in the balance, to uphold a corrupt constitution which allowed for their country to be ruled by gangs or to break it up a bit but regain that sense of safety and security, I'd vote for safety and security. So I get why he's popular.

So, I don't think it's controversial to call him a dictator, I mean sure, let's call him a dictator, so what? I think all that matters is whether Salvadorians like the country that they live in or not, that's the bottom line.