The president of Panama, José Mulino, has deployed thousands of agents to reinforce the fight against gangs, inspired by the security model implemented by President Nayib Bukele in El Salvador.
Mulino highlighted that the gangs took advantage of the lack of leadership in his country, but assured that under his government Panama will be one of the safest nations in the region.
The impact of the Territorial Control Plan and the Exception Regime, key pillars of the Salvadoran government in the fight against crime, has transcended borders. In Ecuador, the president has announced the construction of new prisons, following the example of the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), the mega prison in El Salvador that houses thousands of gang members under strict security and isolation measures.
In Argentina, President Javier Milei sent senior officials to El Salvador to closely study Salvadoran security policies. The Argentine representatives visited the CECOT and evaluated the Exception Regime to evaluate its implementation in Argentina, a country that faces high levels of violence.
Likewise, the Dominican Republic has been interested in replicating the Salvadoran model. Through its ministers, the Dominican government has obtained direct information about the achievements made by El Salvador in its fight against gangs.
The impact of the “Bukele model” is not limited to leaders, but has also influenced candidates for minor positions in countries such as Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, Paraguay, Guatemala and Haiti, who have adopted Bukele’s security strategy as a reference in their political campaigns.
El Salvador, which in the past was considered the world capital of homicide, is today recognized as the safest country in the Western Hemisphere and the eighth in the world, thanks to the firmness and effectiveness of the security policies of the Bukele government.