Opinión | El régimen de excepción de Bukele ya no es un tema marginal en Washington YouTube video by El Faro

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Bukele’s State of Exception Is No Longer a Marginal Issue in Washington It would be naive to think that Trump will make a 180-degree turn in policy toward El Salvador. But as a recent hearing in Washington suggests, concern is growing within sectors of Trump’s coalition a...

I wrote on @elfaroenglish.bsky.social about what appears to be a shift in Washington’s tone toward Bukele’s brutal state of exception. @tlhumanrights.bsky.social shows the issue is becoming bipartisan—and there are fissures in Republican discourse.

beta.elfaro.net/en/opinion-e...

How El Salvador’s Government Impeded a U.S. Probe of MS-13 President Donald Trump has praised Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele as a crime fighter, but new reporting based on interviews and documents reveals how senior Salvadoran officials have impeded a U.S....

The possibility of dropping the case rattled law enforcement—especially the Vulcan joint task force, created by Trump to pursue gang leaders. These U.S. officials, who opposed the dismissal, had previously faced harassment from Bukele’s police.
www.propublica.org/article/buke...

Judge Demands Answers About Deal to Return MS-13 Gang Leaders to El Salvador

In July 2025, @nytimes.com reported federal prosecutors were set to drop narco-terrorism charges against a supposed gang leader—a move tied to Bukele-Trump negotiations.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/25/n...

U-turn hits just before the @frontlinepbs.bsky.social @elfaroenglish.bsky.social report. NYC Prosecutors unveiled evidence against top Salvadoran gang leaders, signaling the case could move forward—even after Bukele asked Trump to return them following their earlier release. x.com/HsilvAvalos/...

Cancelan en la Unach conferencia de vicepresidente salvadoreño tras críticas en redes De acuerdo con la invitación que se publicó en redes sociales, Ulloa dictaría el 8 de abril a las 12 horas en la Unach una conferencia magistral sobre seguridad nacional, Estado y derechos humanos.

The international backlash against Bukele was clear when a Mexican university canceled Ulloa’s presentation after strong pushback from civil society groups and members of Mexico’s ruling party.

www.jornada.com.mx/noticia/2026...

The hit to Bukele’s image over human rights abuses has pushed the Salvadoran regime to act: VP Félix Ulloa has been sent to address the issue in Europe and Mexico. Meanwhile, Bukele’s brother and advisor, Ibrajim, is revealing how they run mass detentions without judicial oversight.

Los fantasmas de Maduro y Duterte acechan a Bukele Uno de los autores del informe GIPES sobre El Salvador habló conmingo sobre el impacto de su trabajo. “Bukele es joven y puede ver cómo este proceso se desarrollará frente a él, sobre todo porque…

Consequences:foreign investment dropped at its lowest in years—and the lowest in Central America. Another: international human rights groups are closing in on what they see as potential crimes against humanity, prosecutable at the ICC—of which El Salvador is member. beta.elfaro.net/opinion/los-...

Venezuelans deported by US detail fresh claims of torture and abuse at El Salvador mega-prison Petition seeks accountability from Salvadorian authorities over human rights violations at notorious Cecot facility

Bukele’s cruelty in propaganda reels showing U.S. deportees, his attacks on Democratic lawmakers, the U.S. judicial revelations, and the release of Venezuelan deportees & Kilmar Abrego speaking out about abuses—all add up to a huge liability for him. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

First, Bukele gained name recognition among parts of the MAGA base and helped position his security “model”—a mix of police repression, gang negotiations, mass detention, and data manipulation—as a hemispheric alternative. He is also trying to turn El Salvador into a U.S. penitentiary colony.

Tomorrow, Frontline and El Faro may reveal more on the migration deal between Nayib Bukele and Donald Trump—and the shadow negotiations between Bukele and gangs.

For Trump, it backfired fast—triggering backlash and eroding support.

For Bukele: what did he gain—and at what cost? 🧵

Bukele’s brother/adviser Ibrajim—the same one who asked
@secrubio.govpeeps.us to extradite MS-13 members in exchange for holding U.S. deportees in CECOT—now admits an anonymous cabinet group decides who’s “innocent.” Not the courts—the Bukele family.

Trump Wants to Make Deportation Deals. Autocrats Are Ready to Listen.

After the Bukele deal—sending U.S. deportees to what many called torture chambers—blew up in public opinion, Trump appears to be shifting tactics: cozying up to distant autocrats while cutting softer deals with countries in the hemisphere ( Costa Rica)
www.nytimes.com/2026/04/04/w...

In 1984, @frontlinepbs reported from El Salvador, interviewing ordinary people during the civil war. The government claimed Salvadorans were free—yet no one dared speak openly. Decades later, the parallels are hard to ignore.Watch the clip below.

Recuerdo cuando uno de los hermanos de Bukele me llamó arrogante por decir que tengo un doctorado. ¿El hermano del presidente? ¿Heredero de millonario? Sí, tengo un doctorado, pero soy hijo de la clase trabajadora. Como decia Ellacuría: con los poderosos, firmeza; con los humildes, humildad.

Frontline, The Deal: Trump, Bukele & the Gangs of El Salvador | PBS Western Reserve The Salvadoran president’s deal with Trump to imprison deportees and what each stood to gain.

Acuerdo Trump-Bukele para encarcelar deportados salió caro a Trump. Semanas después, aprobación migración se desplomó, ahora por suelos.Desde entonces, ES quedó fuera acuerdos con terceros países. + detalles:
@frontlinepbs.bsky.social El Faro abril 7.
www.pbswesternreserve.org/blogs/progra...

Soon we might learn more through @frontlinepbs.bsky.social and @elfaroenglish.bsky.social but deal between Trump & Bukele to jail US deportees did not work in favor of the US. Within weeks,Trump’s immigration approval turned negative. Year later, he burned his signature issues & scaled back plans

Van Hollen Statement on Return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States | U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding the reported return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United...

The Venezuelan migrants and Abrego were later released after public pressure and calls from Democrats, including Sen. Chris Van Hollen. But the deal with Bukele became so toxic that El Salvador has since been excluded from other third-country agreements. www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-r...

The six big events that have dragged down Donald Trump's approval rating At -21.4, the president's net rating has sunk to Watergate and Katrina levels — and one issue is driving most of the decline

The operation backfired. Trump overplayed his hand, sparking public backlash and sustained Democratic opposition. Within weeks, his immigration approval turned negative. A year later, he had burned one of his signature issues.
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/2026-04-03...

White House touts deportation of alleged gang members that court ordered returned to US The Trump administration argued Sunday that the judge didn't have the authority to halt the flights.

Bukele wanted more than money. After the deportations, he flaunted the operation—mocking the judge, posting gory reels of migrants humiliated: heads shaved, processed like criminals. The White House amplified it to show “toughness.”
www.politico.com/news/2025/03...

According to the plan, Bukele received the prisoners while helping the Trump administration push a narrative that they were all tied to transnational crime—either Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua or a Salvadoran gang.

www.npr.org/2025/03/16/g...

Trump paid El Salvador $5M to jail deportees — with conditions on DEI but not torture Secret memos made public this week show Trump administration’s arrangement with Nayib Bukele to jail Venezuelans

The deal between Bukele and Rubio appears to involve U.S. funding in exchange for hosting deported migrants, including Abrego, and the return of gang leaders previously in U.S. custody—some of whom had been released by Bukele’s own government.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

From day one, Trump’s team needed an international partner to scale mass deportations—a top priority for Sec. of State Marco Rubio. He found one: Nayib Bukele, El Salvador's ruthless strongman controlling jails and every branch of government.

Since the beginning of 2025, approval of President Trump’s handling of immigration has softened slightly New ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos polling finds Americans are divided on President Trump’s approach to immigration

Calculated and blunt: a signal of the new administration’s push for aggressive mass removals. Trump sought to seize the public imagination on his signature issue—but at the time, his immigration approval was barely above water.
www.ipsos.com/en-us/abc-ne...

Mar 15–16, 2025: Trump deported ~200 Venezuelans—along with Kilmar Abrego—to prison camps in El Salvador, defying a judge’s orders to advance his mass deportation agenda. A year later, it’s seen as his first major political misstep. More from @FrontlinePBS + @ElFaro on Apr 7

Looking forward to @frontlinepbs.bsky.social and @elfaroenglish.bsky.social collab on how Trump and Salv dictator Bukele teamed up—and what each gets from a deal that violates U.S. law and human rights.Premieres Apr 7 on @pbs.org and online www.facebook.com/reel/1323254...

El 84.1% de los salvadoreños gana, en promedio, menos de $435 al mes, según los datos de la EHPM El ingreso de la mayoría de los salvadoreños apenas alcanza para cubrir lo básico. Según la última Encuesta de Hogares, el 84.1% de la población ocupada gana menos de $435 al mes, en un contexto donde...

Before preaching the “Salvadoran miracle” , remember: 84.1% of people there live on under $435 a month.

www.eldiariodehoy.com/negocios/el-...

Trump plans to attend Wednesday’s Supreme Court hearing on his bid to limit birthright citizenship A definitive ruling from the Supreme Court is expected by early summer.

The American superpower has long drawn people from around the world and made them “Americans.” Once it loses that ability, the U.S. will begin to decay—just as Europe has.

www.ocregister.com/2026/04/01/t...

Los fantasmas de Maduro y Duterte acechan a Bukele Uno de los autores del informe GIPES sobre El Salvador habló conmingo sobre el impacto de su trabajo. “Bukele es joven y puede ver cómo este proceso se desarrollará frente a él, sobre todo porque esto...

My latest column in El Faro: why Bukele and his government fear a crimes-against-humanity report—and how it edges them closer to an ICC probe, like Maduro and Duterte. I spoke with one of the report's expert.

beta.elfaro.net/opinion/los-...

La inversión extranjera directa en El Salvador se redujo un 37 % en 2025 - La Prensa Gráfica El monto de inversión captado en 2025 ascendió a  $474.8 millones,  la cifra más baja desde 2022, según datos del BCR.

So the Salvadoran “miracle” is real—but investors are fleeing? FDI down 37%.My take: propaganda is a bubble—global capital doesn’t buy into high-risk, low-reward regimes.

www.laprensagrafica.com/economia/la-...