Inside El Salvador’s security state

Available for over a year

El Salvador is a country that has changed radically since the election of President Nayib Bukele who, in a bid to tackle gang violence, introduced in 2022 a set of strict legal and security measures under what’s known as ‘the state of exception.’ With a population of approximately 6 million, it was once a nation with the highest homicide rate in the world but today, in neighborhoods that were once controlled by gangs, people can keep their shops open late and children can play freely in the streets. With around 2.5% of the adult population currently behind bars, El Salvador is now one of the safest countries in central America and many political commentators, including those in Brazil, regard it as the blueprint. But what price are ordinary citizens really paying for safety? João Fellet of BBC Brasil travelled to El Salvador to film a documentary which investigates the debate over public security and what some see as a dangerous concentration of power. Presented by Irena Taranyuk Produced by Hannah Dean and Laura Thomas