Journalist Carlos Dada, one of the founders of the outlet El Faro, had to leave El Salvador after investigating alleged links between the Salvadoran government and criminals. The decision to abandon the country was made in light of political developments that made the exercise of press freedom incompatible with his physical safety.
El Faro withdrew its operations from San Salvador amid the growing concentration of power in the hands of President Nayib Bukele. The news outlet decided to transfer its activities outside the country, a reflection of the climate of press repression that has settled in the Central American nation.
Bukele is revered by the White House and the Latin American right for his public security model, which managed to significantly reduce crime rates in El Salvador. However, this reduction in violence occurred at the cost of trampling basic guarantees of the Democratic Rule of Law, according to critics.
The situation highlights the conflict between concrete results in the area of security and fundamental freedoms in the country. The accusation that Bukele "decides who is a criminal" summarizes the concerns about the authoritarian exercise of power, where the fight against crime overrides constitutional guarantees and democratic rights.
