By Belize Live News Staff: El Salvador has experienced one of the most dramatic reductions in homicide recorded in the region, and its experience is increasingly being cited in debates over how countries should confront gangs and violent crime.
Official Salvadoran police figures show the homicide rate dropping from 106 per 100,000 people in 2015 to just 1.3 in 2025. El Salvador recorded 82 homicides during 2025, according to its government.
President Nayib Bukele’s security strategy has included aggressive anti gang operations, expanded use of the military and police, mass arrests and a state of emergency that has suspended some due process protections.
Supporters point to the enormous decline in killings and the weakening of gangs as evidence that the approach has worked on public security.
Critics argue that those results have come with significant costs. Human Rights Watch says more than 90,000 people have been arrested under the state of emergency and has documented allegations of arbitrary arrests, mistreatment and other serious human rights violations.
The comparison is particularly relevant for Belize.
Police figures show Belize recorded 91 murders in 2025, only one fewer than the 92 recorded in 2024.
El Salvador and Belize have different populations, institutions and crime dynamics, so the Salvadoran model cannot automatically be assumed to produce the same results here.
Still, El Salvador’s experience raises questions about what policies Belize could examine, including intelligence led policing, targeting organized criminal groups, stronger investigative capacity and greater accountability for violent offenders.
Should Belize study and adopt elements of El Salvador’s security strategy, or would its tougher measures go too far for Belize?
