SAN SALVADOR, Nov 20: El Salvador, once one of the world’s most dangerous countries due to rampant gang violence, has undergone a dramatic transformation under President Nayib Bukele.
Since his election in 2019, Bukele’s crackdown on organized crime has resulted in over 83,100 suspected gang members being incarcerated.
But what’s life like inside the prisons that hold these so-called “worst of the worst”?
David Culver Goes Inside CECOT
CNN reporter David Culver was recently granted rare access to Cecot, El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, and what he witnessed left him stunned.
Located in a remote, mountainous area, Cecot opened in January 2023 and can hold up to 40,000 inmates.
Conditions are harsh—prisoners sleep on bare metal frames, bathe in communal water pools, and live under constant fluorescent lighting, making rest nearly impossible.
“Comfort isn’t part of the plan here,” Culver explained, describing the prison as “tense and uncomfortable,” especially when faced with rows of tattooed, shirtless inmates silently staring at him.
No One Leaves CECOT
Once inside Cecot, prisoners never leave. Medical care, legal visits, and everything else happens within its fortified walls.
One of the most shocking moments in Culver’s report was a glimpse of the solitary confinement cells—pitch-black rooms with only a tiny hole for light.
Inmates can be confined there for up to 15 days, an experience designed to break even the hardest criminals.
Featured Image: CNN
