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.