Around 100,000 people were thrown in jail due to the 2022 implementation of mano dura, per CNN. As a result, the United States Institute of Peace described El Salvador as having the highest rate of incarceration in the world. Alternately, Reuters writes that homicides decreased by 56.8% in 2022. Mano dura was supposed to be temporary, but at the time of this publication, Reuters noted that President Nayib Bukele had no plans to end the measure any time soon. The New York Times explains that enforcing Mano Dura is no easy task. It includes daily military patrolling and arrests. In other words, it transformed El Salvador into a militaristic state.
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According to Human Rights Watch, this is not the first time a ruler has enacted mano dura. Prior presidents Francisco Flores and Antonio Saca rolled out Plan Mano Dura in 2003 and Plan Súper Mano Dura in 2004, respectively. Juan Pappier from Human Rights Watch told CNN that Bukele’s mano dura is “a perfect recipe for abuse.” However, for Bukele, The New York Times states that the pros outweigh the cons. The streets became safer, the extortion rates declined, and crime heavily decreased. In addition, his approval ratings as president were at 86% in October 2022, months after he first administered mano dura (per CNN).
