El Salvador Achieves Record Low 114 Homicides in 2024, 1.9 Per 100,000 Rate

Jan 1, 2025, 06:41 PM

El Salvador achieved a record low of 114 homicides in 2024, marking a 26% decrease from the 154 homicides reported in 2023. This reduction is attributed to the government's Territorial Control Plan and the state of emergency, which has been in effect since March 2022. Under this regime, over 83,000 individuals have been detained, with 8,000 released as innocent, although it has drawn criticism from human rights organizations for alleged violations, including arbitrary arrests and 354 custodial deaths. President Nayib Bukele highlighted that the country now has a homicide rate of 1.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, positioning it as the safest nation in the Western Hemisphere. The decline continues a broader trend of decreasing violence in El Salvador, which had one of the world's highest homicide rates in 2015. Despite the restrictions, Bukele's high popularity persists. However, the state of emergency remains controversial, with monthly renewals by a supermajority in Congress and ongoing debates about its necessity.