Hard number: Mass trial in El Salvador

The group is collectively accused of committing 47,000 crimes between 2012 and 2022, including murder, extortion, and drug and arms trafficking. President Nayib Bukele , who dubbed himself the “world’s coolest dictator” back in 2021, has made law and order a top priority in a country once paralyzed by crime. Indeed, the homicide rate in the country has plunged over the last few years. However, critics believe it has come at a major cost, namely the erosion of civil liberties and the country’s descent into an autocratic police state.