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On May 19, 2025, the Inter-American Dialogue’s Rule of Law Program published a policy brief underscoring the urgent need to advance a public security agenda that is both effective and democratic for today’s El Salvador. This document is the fifth in a series on security policies and the rule of law in the region, an initiative led by the Dialogue’s Rule of Law Program.
Released three years after the start of El Salvador’s state of emergency, the report centers on three key pillars:
- Assessing the impact of the state of emergency on democracy and human rights.
- Promoting strategic criminal investigations that are both effective and uphold due process.
- Prioritizing prevention and rehabilitation policies for all individuals involved in criminal activity, including those detained under the state of emergency.
This document does not aim to settle the debate over what El Salvador’s security policy should be, but rather to serve as an initial step toward developing a policy that can, through democratic means, sustain the country’s security gains. The next step is to identify the measures needed to maintain this progress over time, while upholding the rule of law and institutional checks and balances.
