Bukele's brother and chief advisor, Karim Bukele, purchased a building in the historic center of San Salvador for $1.3 million just three months after the Legislative Assembly, controlled by the Bukele family, passed a law exempting investors in that area from taxes. #SpookyConnections #EndImpunity
Prior to becoming president, Bukele worked alongside organized crime and forged a secret pact with the MS-13 and Barrio 18 gangs, which dominated every block in downtown San Salvador, to remodel parks and open new businesses. #SpookyConnections #EndImpunity
The historic center of San Salvador has been one of the Bukeles’ primary focuses since coming to power. He's used his security forces to forcibly evict thousands of street vendors and locals to increase tourism and obtain hefty real estate and hotel investments. #SpookyConnections #EndImpunity
Locals reported that Bukele has used the state of emergency regime to intimidate them and force them sell or leave. Police have forcibly displaced them by threatening to falsely label them gang members and throw them in prison without due process. #SpookyConnections #EndImpunity
As President Bukele opened a new secret deal with the country's gangs which had by then been considered terrorist under Salvadoran law. #SpookyConnections #EndImpunity
Ex-AG Raúl Melara was fired by Bukele after opening an investigation into the secret deal to figure out what it detailed. His team—known as the Catedral group—uncovered official documents, audios, and photos implicating high-level officials and prison authorities. #SpookyConnections #EndImpunity
Investigators published audios, photographs and testimonies that support Bukele’s contacts with gang leaders in exchange for better prison conditions, outside benefits, and reduced persecution in return for keeping violence down. #SpookyConnections #EndImpunity
According to the investigation, Bukele negotiated with MS-13 in order to reduce homicides in the country and gain electoral support for his election campaign, in which his party, New Ideas, ended up winning 56 of the 84 seats. #SpookyConnections #EndImpunity
Bukele officials entered the prisons with hooded people, including a leader of MS-13, to give orders that were to be carried out on the streets. Traditionally, gangs' electoral support for candidates is not only achieved through the reduction of homicides. #SpookyConnections #EndImpunity
Gangs previously influenced elections by preventing people from voting or confiscating the documents necessary to vote, or by preventing rival politicians from campaigning in the neighborhoods they dominate. Bukele may have been assisted by these gangs. #SpookyConnections #EndImpunity
MS-13 and Barrio 18, with their two factions, are the two largest criminal groups in El Salvador. Authorities estimate that there are about 60,000 active gang members operating in 94 percent of the country's municipalities, and about 18,000 inmates. #SpookyConnections #EndImpunity