Earlier this month, U.S Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, visited El Salvador and met with President Nayib Bukele. During a speech on the Senate floor, Cotton said during his trip he saw the progress made by the country.
“The images were commonplace, yet extraordinary. Children played soccer in the parks, young women jogged in the twilight, couples dined outdoors. One should expect these scenes in decent communities. Extraordinary because these were unheard of years ago,” he said.
In a press release, Cotton praised the country for its approach to crime. Cotton said he agreed with Bukele’s approach to declare a state of emergency, allowing police to quickly arrest and jail suspected gang members, while suspending their right to a lawyer and court approval of preliminary detention, according to Reuters.
