You’ve been in El Salvador for the past week interviewing people about the situation there. What have you learned? What stands out for you? El Salvador has been under a “State of Emergency” or “estado de excepción” since 2022. In May of this year, the head of one of...
The flyers circulated on social media for at least four hours after noon on May 2, 2025. They were documents designed to look like police files, all bearing the logo of the División Especial contra el Crimen Organizado (Special Division against Organized Crime, DECO)...
In the Old Testament, a key theological term that shapes the life of God’s people is the Hebrew word shalom. It is often rendered “peace,” a translation that can shrink its meaning to the mere absence of conflict. Yet shalomis polysemic—its scope reaches far...
Venezuelan Mervin Yamarte believed that in the United States he would secure a better future for his family, but he ended up in an infamous Salvadoran prison, subjected to relentless beatings and abuse. Moments after arriving at his home in Maracaibo, nearly a 10-hour...
For decades, journalism has shaped El Salvador’s history, providing the public with information that guides everyday choices and the nation’s broader course. Today, however, reporters face harassment, stigmatization, and even criminalization—hazards that have...
Holdings of public debt by the private banking sector have surged since the pandemic, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) notes in its most recent Article IV report. According to the Fund, “banks’ holdings of government securities rose,” swelling from $1.1 billion...
