10,000 troops recently surrounded the city of soyapango in el salvador as part of a massive crackdown on gangs. president bukele and his allies have been leading the operation, which has included blocking all roads leading to the city, searching houses for gang members, and stopping anyone attempting to leave the city and checking identity papers. the crackdown began in late march as a response to a surge in violence earlier this year.
Is one of the largest cities in el salvador, located just 8 miles west of the capital san salvador. it is home to more than 290,000 people and has long been known as a hub for gang activity. in order to carry out the crackdown, heavily armed troops clad in body armor and carrying assault rifles were sent to the city.
Operation has been met with both praise and criticism. a recent poll taken by the central american university (uca) found that 75.9 percent of salvadorans approved of the state of emergency. however, rights groups have criticized the heavy handed nature of the crackdown, saying the measures have led to arbitrary detentions. president bukele has defended the operation, saying that it is part of an operation against criminals, not against honest citizens, and that ordinary people have nothing to fear.
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