Young, brutal, successful aodighoiahsiogadg

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele scores with his tough crackdown on gangs - and thus becomes a dangerous role model for autocrats.

What is probably the most dangerous political experiment in Latin America is currently taking place in El Salvador. An idiosyncratic brand of populism now appears to be gaining the upper hand in what has been virtually a century-long tug-of-war between authoritarianism and democracy in the region. Instead of dividing the country as populism normally does, it unites it. Above all, however, he is successful - and in such a dazzling and sensational way that people in the region and beyond are watching very closely.

At the head of it all is the self-proclaimed “world's coolest dictator”, Nayib Bukele. Since he had tens of thousands of suspected gang members arrested in various police and military operations, without even preserving the appearance of rule of law practices or even due process, Bukele has become a veritable national hero. His poll numbers are now over 90 percent approval. Under his leadership, what was once one of the most violent countries in the world has become significantly safer. It is a truly impressive change for which (almost) all Salvadorans seem to be deeply grateful.

It is not the first time that a charismatic but tough young leader has risen to power and taken radical measures to fight crime in his country - at the expense of basic human rights. More often than not, such leaders fail, leaving numerous ruined lives and an unstable political system in their wake. Every once in a while, though, there are leaders like Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore: ruthless, authoritarian, but so successful in building a stable, prosperous society that the far from impeccable human rights record fades from history or becomes a footnote. Singapore is the model that Nayib Bukele is committed to – quite explicitly .

After a patchy start in 2019 at best as the first crypto fanatic to lead a state, Bukele's primary focus was on public safety, the central issue in a country that has long been among the most violent states in the world counted. It should be noted that El Salvador 's astronomical homicide rate had already fallen slightly before Bukele's election victory. Previous governments have, in turn, been heavy-handed against the street gangs ( maras ) that rule El Salvadorterrorized, acted, or had negotiated "non-aggression pacts" with them. Bukele has always publicly criticized these agreements, but has quietly tried to keep them.