The bukele model: Will it spread?

2Citations
Citations of this article
22Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.
Get full text

Abstract

Decades of mano dura—or "iron fist"—experiments in Latin America suggest that hard-on-crime policies are likely to fail. Yet in El Salvador, a crackdown launched by President Nayib Bukele in 2022 successfully dismantled the country's gangs, turning "the Bukele model" into one of the most influential political brands in the region. This essay argues that this crackdown succeeded not only because of its intensity, but also because of the (unintended) consequences of a pact between the gangs and the Bukele government. As ongoing crackdowns in Honduras and Ecuador suggest, efforts to emulate the Bukele model are likely to fail—and come at a high cost for democracy, security, and human rights.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Meléndez-Sánchez, M., & Vergara, A. (2024). The bukele model: Will it spread? Journal of Democracy, 35(3), 84–98. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2024.a930429

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free