Contrary to popular belief, countries ruled by dictators are quite safe. In such countries, criminals are overly fearful of their dictators, who are not avid readers of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Corruption and crime in general are usually perpetrated by those who work for the state. Tourists are rarely affected.
The most dangerous places in the world are often in developing countries. El Salvador is a great destination, but one with a terrible history. The moment tourists set foot on the ground after landing at the airport, the first thing that comes to mind is kidnappings. Prevention is better than cure; I wanted to visit the country when I was in Mexico, but after reading the newspapers, I quickly changed my mind.
El Salvador is probably as beautiful as Costa Rica. It's a great windsurfing destination, full of history, natural beauty, and friendly people… A small country that's easy to visit and explore. However, it has a past marked by political instability and war. The friendly Salvadorans would surely love the opportunity to show the world what their country is really like. But…
El Salvador leads the world in homicide rates relative to population. Kidnappings are very common. It's not exactly the ideal tourist destination for millionaires. Or for your average Joe from, say, Texas.
“El Salvador may be dangerous, but it is not the only Latin American country with such high homicide rates,” wrote Robert Muggah, a Brazilian crime expert. Despite representing only 8% of the world’s population, the region accounts for 38% of all homicides globally. Every day, 400 Latin Americans are murdered.
Ultimately, all of this has a simple explanation: corruption.
“José Miguel Cruz states that gangs like MS-13 are not the only cause of so much crime in Central America,” but rather a symptom of a much more serious plague afflicting the region: corruption.”
According to Cruz, gangs like MS-13 have grown in number and power in El Salvador because the political class allows it. In August, the prosecution demonstrated how MS-13 and other gangs collaborated with the two main political parties, paying them more than $300,000 to help them win the 2014 presidential election.
“The same link between governments and criminal organizations is repeated throughout Central America, places where political institutions have turned a blind eye to criminal gangs in exchange for economic and political support from the neighborhoods they control. Very few are brought to justice for their crimes,” Cruz asserts.
This severely damages the concept of the rule of law in Central American countries, and makes it even more difficult to fight violence. “If we were to eradicate corruption among rulers in Central America, the gangs and criminals would disappear,” says Cruz.