President Nayib Bukele.
El Salvador’s security crackdown received overwhelming public support, as a new Cid-Gallup poll released on December 10 found that 96% of Salvadorans view the government’s anti-gang measures positively, reflecting continued approval of policies implemented since the 2022 state of emergency.
The survey, conducted by telephone with 1,200 respondents, shows nearly unanimous backing for President Nayib Bukele’s approach to dismantling gang structures. Only 2% described the measures as negative, while another 2% declined to answer.
Researchers noted that respondents rated the security policies as either very optimistic or somewhat optimistic. The results mirror sentiment recorded in a previous Cid-Gallup poll from September 2025, suggesting stable support for the government’s strategy.
Cid-Gallup’s general manager, Luis Haug, noted that the findings signal “considerable approval” for the ongoing crackdown. He said that disapproval peaked at 8% in 2022 and 6% in 2024, well above today’s minimal levels.
The polling firm reported that 96% also rated the government’s broader efforts to protect citizens as positive. Only 2% viewed the administration’s overall work on citizen security as negative, and 2% offered no opinion.
Beyond security, the survey asked respondents to identify government achievements since 2020, the year after Bukele took office. Ninety-six percent cited at least one accomplishment, the highest recognition level recorded in this December measurement.
Among the achievements mentioned were the two schools-per-day construction initiative, the Ministry of Education’s work, and the rollout of DoctorSV, a digital health platform. Respondents did not list specific failures associated with those achievements.
However, 69% of respondents said the government has shortcomings, while 31% did not identify any negative aspects. The poll did not detail which failures were most frequently mentioned.
Despite those criticisms, 85% of those interviewed believe El Salvador is moving in the right direction. Seven percent said the country is on the wrong path, and the remaining respondents did not provide an opinion.
The findings underscore continued public endorsement of Bukele’s security agenda as his administration advances toward the end of its second term, while maintaining approval levels rarely seen in the region.
