Next Updated 39 hours ago
If you’ve ever thought about visiting a stylish El Salvador because of its beautiful jungle, unspoiled Pacific beaches, and lively capital city, you’ve been surprised by how risky it is. ––as a place, we’ve got excellent information for you.
For the first time since records began, the U. S. State Department has added the Central American nation to its record of reasonably safe places, known among go geeks as Level 2, on a line with Mexico, Belize, and Costa Rica.
In other words, El Salvador is no longer off-limits to U. S. citizens, and they can plan their trip knowing it’s now ( far ) less likely harm will come their way:
El Salvador Suddenly Gets Its Level 2 Status!
Following decades of debate force, the State Department downgraded El Salvador from Level 3 to Level 2, suddenly acknowledging the substantial improvement in safety.
Earlier to 2022, El Salvador was known as one of the crime capital of Central America, with staggering rates of violent and petty violence plaguing a majority of its cities, particularly San Salvador, the money home to over half a million of the region’s 6.3 million inhabitants.
In only two years, however, it went from a crime hotspot to one of the region’s safe have ns, largely due to the tough stance on organized crime taken by incumbent President Nayib Bukele: it’s not been without criticism, but it seems to be paying off.
In March 2022, Mr. Bukele declared a” State of Exception” across the nation, which made it much simpler for criminals and traffickers to be imprisoned. Some would argue arbitrarily, with critics arguing that the law was not always upheld, but the numbers do n’t:
El Salvador went from a shocking homicide rate of 105 per 100, 000 people in 2015 to only 2.4 per 100, 000 in the latest count: either the usual murderers have had a change of heart since, or they ended up in jail following Bukele’s mass incarceration program.
We’re banking on the latter.
How Safe Is El Salvador In Reality?
According to the Global Security Report, 88 % of El Salvadorians feel their country is now safe to live in, helping it place number 8 on the overall chart, ahead of exceptionally-safe countries like Canada, Iceland, Finland and Japan, even.
That does n’t mean El Salvador is safer than those nations: as previously stated, most El Salvadoris feel their lives have improved, leading to a higher turnout, but Swiss or Icelandic residents are probably less likely to feel safe there.
It’s all a matter of perspective.
Regardless, the country’s success in tackling crime and becoming low-risk by Central American and Latin American standards is truly unprecedented, not to say mind-blowing.
This Is Why The U. S. Has Changed Its Position On El Salvador
When it comes to safety, the United States Department uses four main categories:
- Level 1: normal precautions must be taken
- Level 2: increased caution should be exercised
- Level 3: travel should be reconsidered
- Level 4: travel is strongly discouraged
El Salvador was placed at Levels 3 and 4 throughout the years it battled the rise in crime, but Washington refused to reevaluate its advisory until 2023, when it was clear that the security situation had changed.
The fact that it is now a Level 2 feature sends a strong message to Americans that their own government supports the El Salvadorian administration’s efforts to stop crime and keeps its promise to both citizens and tourists.
They note that El Salvador’s population remains a concern despite the fact that there has been a significant decrease in gang-related and related crime in the last two years, with a notable decrease in violent crimes and murders.
The State Department mentions the’ State of Exception’, which continues to be in place, citing the suspension of constitutional rights for prisoners, and the fact that several U. S. and foreign citizens are currently detained under’ harsh’ conditions.
We do not know whether these individuals are involved with crime, though that is very likely, and again, as long as you have a clean record, and you’re not coming to El Salvador with malicious intent, you’ll be welcomed with open arms.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. None of the organizations referred to in this post have reviewed, approved, or otherwise supported this content.