Life in El Salvador
El Salvador Buys $50 Million in Gold, First Purchase Since 1990
SENSUNTEPEQUE, El Salvador — El Salvador has purchased gold for the first time in more than three decades, a move its central bank says will strengthen the country’s international reserves. The Central Reserve Bank (BCR) announced Thursday it acquired 13,999 … Read more
Costa Rica Declares El Salvador Ferry Project Unviable After Failing to Attract Bidders
LA LIBERTAD, El Salvador — A long-promised maritime link between El Salvador and Costa Rica has stalled indefinitely, with Costa Rican authorities declaring the project unviable after no private company agreed to take on the service. Verny Jiménez, director of … Read more
Former El Salvador Attorney General Luis Martínez Sentenced to 10 Years for Corruption
SANTA TECLA, El Salvador — Former Attorney General Luis Martínez, once the highest-ranking prosecutor in El Salvador, was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison after a court found him guilty of procedural fraud and failure to investigate corruption cases … Read more
El Salvador Ranked Among Latin America’s Safest Travel Destinations
For decades, El Salvador’s name was tied to violence and insecurity. Today, however, the narrative is shifting. The small Central American nation has just been ranked one of the safest destinations in Latin America by the U.S. Department of State, … Read more
Costa Rica to Build El Salvador-Inspired Mega-Prison Amid Surge in Drug Gang Violence
SANTA TECLA, El Salvador — Once considered Central America’s safest nation, Costa Rica is taking a page from El Salvador’s hardline security playbook as it confronts a record wave of drug-related violence. The government announced Wednesday it will begin construction … Read more
U.S. Human Rights Report Praises El Salvador’s Security Gains, Critics Warn of Abuses
SANTA TECLA, El Salvador — The U.S. State Department’s 2024 global human rights report draws a sharp line between Washington’s allies and adversaries, offering praise for some governments while sidestepping concerns raised by citizens and advocacy groups in friendly nations. … Read more
Anti-Corruption Crackdown: El Salvador’s New Anti-Corruption Law Now in Force
SANTA TECLA, El Salvador — The country’s new Anti-Corruption Law, hailed as one of the country’s most comprehensive measures to date against corruption, took effect on Monday, imposing strict reporting and oversight requirements on public officials and employees. The law, … Read more