08-08-2025
Bukele's power grab should set off alarms in the US
Though widely criticized for oppressive policies, including mass arrests, media silencing, and the erosion of judicial independence, Bukele retains a
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But that enormous popularity, critics say, is masking a deeper climate of fear and repression. 'Consistently in polls, Salvadorans say they support the president but similar majorities also say that they would be afraid to express an opinion that wasn't aligned with [Bukele] or his party,' Noah Bullock, executive director of
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Cristosal, which has extensively documented human rights abuses under Bukele,
Bollock, who's originally from Boston, sees clear echoes of Bukele's playbook in the United States. Last fall, shortly after Trump's reelection,
The seductive promise of strongman rule, he warned, often conceals a dangerous bargain. 'There is this myth of the efficiency of an autocrat,' Bullock said. 'Democracy doesn't deliver so power should be handed over to a leader to be able to solve problems. People, when faced with that seductive prospect, are willing to accept a sort of deceptive trade-off of rights and freedoms in exchange for outcomes in development or security.'
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But once that trade-off is made, the consequences are far-reaching. 'If a government has decided that it can violate the rights of one group of people, they've already decided that they can violate the rights of all people, including yours,' he said.
What's happening in El Salvador isn't just a regional crisis. It's a cautionary tale — and a mirror to the US.
This is an excerpt from
, a Globe Opinion newsletter from columnist Marcela García.
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Marcela García is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
