Dear John,

This week on the WOLA Podcast, I spoke with Beatriz Magaloni, a renowned political scientist from Stanford University, about El Salvador’s so-called “Bukele Model” of security. We explored why it’s being praised by some—and why Beatriz believes it’s ultimately destined to fail.

We recorded this conversation as part of WOLA’s Human Rights Awards Month, during which we’re honoring MOVIR (Movimiento de Víctimas del Régimen), a courageous group of Salvadoran families organizing for justice amid mass incarceration. To understand the context in which MOVIR works, we have to look at what’s happening in El Salvador today: 2 percent of the population behind bars, a collapse of due process, and countless innocent people imprisoned.

Beatriz shared powerful insights from her research on the conditions inside the country’s prisons, including those that don’t make international headlines, where overcrowding, hunger, and abuse are rampant. Her findings confirm much of what WOLA has been saying for years: that real citizen security cannot come from fear and repression—and when it does, it will be fleeting at best.

As someone who has spent decades studying defense and security policy across Latin America, our latest episode reinforced what I have seen firsthand: that sustainable, rights-respecting security requires strong institutions, transparency, and accountability. There is no trade-off between security and democracy. WOLA continues to research and advocate for citizen security models that protect communities while upholding human rights.

You can listen here! 

In solidarity,

Adam Isacson

Director for Defense Oversight

For human rights activists across Latin America right now, the stakes are high. Violence around elections is on the rise, as are threats against those who speak in favor of justice and accountability.

Your support of WOLA creates space to amplify the voices of those who put their life on the line to champion human rights; from Caracas, to San Salvador, and everywhere in between.

“Seeking other ways to pressure without necessarily negotiating and giving an authoritarian government what they want is very, very important.”

Laura Cristina Dib

Director for Venezuela

– NPR, As U.S. Pressure mounts, Venezuela's Foreign 'Hostages' Face Growing Uncertainty

Their approach is “layered like an onion.”

Adam Isacson

Director for Defense Oversight

– The Economist, Donald Trump is victorious at the southern border

Deploying lethal force "violates the letter and spirit of more than a century of international standards and the United States’ own regulations for maritime operations against civilian vessels in international waters."

Washington Office on Latin America

– The Independent, War on drugs: Trump declares US is now in ‘armed conflict’ with Caribbean cartels

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