President Nayib Bukele has enjoyed a sky-high approval rating of 91% for his crackdown on crime. But thousands of families say their sons and husbands have been unjustly imprisoned under his recent suspension of civil liberties.
For some Salvadorans, the promise of the “American Dream” has been tainted by coordinated deterrence efforts from Mexico and the United States. They're looking to places like Costa Rica for refuge — for now.
In El Salvador, where political corruption is rampant, a young mayor with presidential aspirations catapults to the top with one simple promise: he won’t steal.
Innocent youth are getting swept up in El Salvador's crackdown in their war on gangs. Daniel Alemán, 23, walked free after spending over a year behind bars on trumped-up extortion charges in El Salvador. Others are not so lucky.
In December 2014, the Obama administration rolled out the Central American Minors Program, which gives young people the option of asking for US asylum while still in their home country.
Many Salvadorans say they're harassed and worse by heavily armed police patrolling poor neighborhoods. But few dare to use the latest technology to hold security forces accountable.
Youth on the run from gangs in Central America are cautioned to check their social media settings.
In May, more Salvadorans were shot and killed than in any month since the country's civil war ended in 1992.
José has already tried to escape from El Salvador to the US this summer — twice. But he's failed each time, and now he's dodging gang violence at home while trying to make yet another attempt to leave.
A catchy song is getting plenty of play on Central American airwaves, but not everyone knows it was funded by the US government.
Some Americans blame President Obama for the flood of Central American children who have crossed into the US this year. They believe his policy sends a message of leniency that is attracting them. But a reporter who just returned from Guatemala and El Salvador says most are simply fleeing violence, and don't have any clue about US policy.