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submitted 5 days ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

Summary

El Salvador ended 2024 with a record low 114 homicides, equivalent to 1.9 per 100,000 people, making it the safest country in the Western Hemisphere according to President Nayib Bukele.

The drop follows two years under a state of emergency aimed at eradicating gang violence, granting authorities sweeping powers but limiting civil rights.

Over 83,000 arrests have been made, though 354 detainees reportedly died in custody.

While criticized for human rights violations, Bukele's crackdown has drastically improved security, boosting his popularity.

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[-] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago

You're saying this from the luxury of a stable country. If the same thing were tried where you live, it would be horrific and wrong, because those actions aren't warranted in a stable country. They only become acceptable when crime and violence have become so deeply rooted that it's impossible to tackle them with normal means.

Imagine late stage cancer. It's beyond the ability to get out with surgery. Instead, more drastic measures are required such as chemo or radiation therapy. This kills the cancer, but also kills some surrounding cells. It's necessarily destructive because the cancer has spread too far to fix with less invasive measures. Imagine someone dismissing those treatments as barbaric because "even a single non-cancerous cell dying is unacceptable". Meanwhile the person dying from cancer doesn't really give a shit, they just want to be free from cancer.

You don't have a single clue how bad things were in those countries before. You didn't go outside, even in the daytime. Nearly every business was held hostage by gangs. Seeing dead bodies was a common occurrence. If you got robbed, or raped, or killed, too bad; there was essentially zero justice to be found or had. For those living under those conditions for years, the price for safety is well worth it.

You're opposed because of the innocents who might be in jail? Where is your concern for the innocents just outright murdered due to unchecked crime?

[-] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

If the same thing were tried where you live, it would be horrific and wrong

USA is among the states with highest proportion of people in cages. El Salvador has only doubled the USA numbers. In both cases, yes, it's horrific and wrong.

Also the argument that extreme oppression is ok for others but not for "us" is grossly overprivileged.

[-] PlasticLove@lemmy.today 1 points 5 days ago

You’re saying this from the luxury of not an over crowded cell because all you did was be outside at the time a government truck pulled over and abducted a group of random people at gun point.

Yes it sounds great to say things when you’re not the one suffering the consequences.

this post was submitted on 03 Jan 2025
198 points (97.1% liked)

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