There is a big debate in the region and in the USA now concerning the "hard hand" approach to security used by El Salvador. This country has included prison sentences of 10 to 15 years for journalists who criticise the work of the police or army, despite hundreds of innocent deaths in anti-drug operations.
Other countries in the region, such as Ecuador, are tempted by this model, despite the costs to democracy and respect for human rights. Ecuador is due to hold a referendum on April 21 to change its constitution and could embark on an authoritarian regression following the example of El Salvador, which, as explained in my article, is a very dangerous approach based on widespread corruption.
Read the article “'Bukelism', El Salvador's flawed approach to gang violence, is no silver bullet for Ecuador”