![](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AQPodcast_Sanchez_071124-300x199.jpg)
AQ Podcast | The Bukele Model: Why It’s Hard to Replicate
In a region plagued by crime, some politicians are eager to replicate El Salvador’s gang crackdown. Can the model spread?
![Claudia Ortiz is one of the few political opponents of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Claudia-Ortiz-300x200.jpg)
The Lonely Life of El Salvador’s Opposition
Lawmaker Claudia Ortiz is leading the political dissent. Her recent campaign—and the ruling party’s attempts to defeat it—show what’s ahead for a backsliding democracy.
![Migrants travel through Tapachula in southern Mexico in Oct. 2023. The next administration in Mexico should work more closely with its neighbors to address migration.](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/MexicoNorthernTriangle-300x200.jpg)
Mexico Needs a New Strategy for the Northern Triangle
The next administration should work more closely with its neighbors to address migration.
![](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/GettyImages-1980538279-300x200.jpg)
El Salvador’s Economy Will Test Bukele 2.0
Bukele needs an IMF assistance program to regain access to international markets. Bitcoin and the erosion of the rule of law are stumbling blocks.
![](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/GettyImages-1978649405-300x200.jpg)
REACTION: Bukele Gets Election Boost for Second Term
Bukele’s party expanded its supermajority in El Salvador’s election, shaped by unprecedented reforms and court rulings.
![Nayib Bukele is expected to win El Salvador's 2024 president elections.](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/CandidatesArt2024_ElSalvadorLede-300x199.jpg)
Meet the Candidates: El Salvador
Nayib Bukele continues to dominate the field ahead of elections on February 4.
![El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele speaks in January.](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Bukele-Letter-to-Editor-Photo-300x200.jpeg)
Letter to the Editor: A Bukele Aide Defends the Security Crackdown
A response from AQ’s readers.
![A suspected gang member is arrested in El Salvador as part of President Nayib Bukele's crackdown on gangs through mass arrests.](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/El-Salvador-Arrest-300x200.jpg)
U.S. Citizens Are Getting Caught Up in El Salvador’s Mass Arrests
Salvadoran-Americans are finding themselves behind bars, but their fate is not getting enough U.S. attention, writes a longtime Salvadoran observer.
![](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BukelePetro-1-300x199.png)
On Security, Bukele and Petro Have a Problem in Common
A recent Twitter feud laid bare the two presidents’ starkly different security approaches. But they both struggle to identify long-term solutions.
![Soldados registran civiles en El Salvador. El estado de excepción lleva un año de vigencia.](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/El-Salvador-Lede-Art-II-300x200.jpg)
Contestando al retroceso democrático de El Salvador
Los países de la región deben sonar la alarma sobre los impactos a largo plazo de restringir los derechos de los ciudadanos.
![A line of civilians outside a bus in San Salvador wait to have their bags checked by soldiers.](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/GettyImages-1240468314-300x200.jpg)
Countering El Salvador’s Democratic Backsliding
Countries across the region must raise the alarm about the long-term impact of curbing citizens’ rights.
![](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/AQPodcast_Solis-1-300x199.jpg)
AQ Podcast | Former President Solís on Central America: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
A comprehensive look at challenges to democracy but also reasons for hope in the region
![](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/GettyImages-1235609215-300x200.jpg)
In El Salvador, a Chastened Opposition Looks to Find Its Way
Traditional and new parties alike are dogged by a charismatic president and weak organizational structures.
![](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GettyImages-165342234-300x196.jpg)
Central America Is Still Recovering from Hurricane Mitch
The 1998 hurricane ended a decade of promise, highlighting the need to better prepare for the next climate-related disaster.
![](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bukeletop-300x200.jpg)
From Bad to Worse: Nayib Bukele’s Split with Washington
El Salvador’s leader seems to be doubling down on his confrontation with Biden, although he faces numerous challenges ahead.