Will the “iron fist” model spread in Latin America?

By Ana Lankes, Brazil correspondent, The Economist

Enthusiasm for a ruthless approach to crime is spreading. That is in part thanks to Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador, who in 2022 declared a state of emergency and has thrown 80,000 people, or 2% of the country, in jail. Human-rights groups say torture and death in prison are common. Salvadoreans seem not to mind: homicides have plummeted and Mr Bukele was re-elected by a landslide in 2024.