El Salvador's President Bukele Shifts Focus to Sports Amid Gang War Criticism
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele is using the Central American and Caribbean Games as an opportunity to showcase a safer El Salvador amid accusations of human rights violations and erosion of democracy. The games, along with other international events, are seen as a tactic of "sportswashing" to divert attention from controversy and improve Bukele's reputation. While crime rates have decreased and Bukele's popularity has soared, his government's crackdown on gangs has led to international criticism and concerns about the erosion of civil liberties. Critics argue that hosting these events allows Bukele to save face internationally and gain global support as he seeks reelection, despite a constitutional ban on terms of more than five years.