As of 2025, nearly 90,000 people had been arrested in El Salvador under the state of emergency that began in March 2022 to fight street gangs.
November 18, 2025
high
temporal
Aggregate arrest count associated with the 2022 state of emergency.
Nearly 90,000 people have been arrested under the emergency powers granted during El Salvador's March 2022 state of emergency.
November 18, 2025
high
statistical
Quantifies arrests reported as associated with the state of emergency policy that began in March 2022.
People detained under El Salvador's state of emergency that began in March 2022 have frequently been held incommunicado without contact with relatives or lawyers.
November 18, 2025
high
human_rights_condition
Describes a reported pattern of detention conditions under the March 2022 state of emergency.
A 2025 Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) American Values Survey of 5,543 U.S. adults found 62% said the country was going in the wrong direction, with 92% of Democrats, 71% of independents, and 24% of Republicans saying the country was going in the wrong direction.
September 08, 2025
high
temporal
National public‑opinion poll measuring perceptions of national direction, reported by PRRI in 2025.
El Salvador declared a state of emergency in March 2022 granting emergency powers to President Nayib Bukele to combat powerful street gangs.
March 01, 2022
high
temporal
Legal measure used by El Salvador to address gang violence.
The 18th Street Gang is one of the largest gangs in the Western Hemisphere and has conducted attacks against security personnel, public officials, and civilians in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
high
background
Describes the gang's relative size and reported violent activity across multiple Central American countries.