El Salvador - 2026

 Photos: https://linkit.shutterfly.com/K0-bMi

            Similar in size to New Jersey, El Salvador hails as the smallest country in Central America, and one with the densest population of 6M. It is the first country to adopt the US dollar as its official currency. I was in a bit of disbelief until sure enough, our US green popped out of the ATM machine. Like many of the Central America countries, they had a recent Civil War. Theirs took place between 1979 and 1992 due to extreme social inequity, military dictatorship and a lack of political freedom. As seems to be the pattern, the US got involved. We funded the government in power while Cuba and the Soviet Union funded the left-wing guerrilla group, FMLN. The war ended once the Soviet Union collapsed, with the government still in power.

Gang violence has been a major issue but, as of this writing, it has virtually disappeared. Current president Bukele has made great strides by declaring a state of emergency, suspending many constitutional rights and launching mass arrests. Over 94,800, 2% of the population, have been arrested, the highest incarceration rate in the world as of 2023.  That year he opened the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a prison with a capacity of 40,000. Many of you may be familiar with CECOT, where Trump has sent many during the ICE crackdown in the US. The terror of CECOT has also been documented on CBS Sixty Minutes.

We visit the artsy colonial mountain town of Suchitoto, surrounded by dense jungle and a massive lake. We learn about indigo tie-dying at a women’s non-profit organization to assist women to earn income after the civil war.  The Art Centre for Peace is using art as a tool for PTSD relief for their citizens affected by their civil war.

Travel experiences also extend to the people met along the journey. At a coffee shop, I noticed the young barista had excellent English with hardly a Spanish accent. I inquired and learned his English was self-taught, supporting the old adage, “if there is a will, there is a way”. English was not an option in his village schooling, but TV was an option. He memorized most of the lines in the Shrek movie in Spanish. Then he intensely studied the English version repeatedly. His father lives in Alabama, whom he did not meet until he was age eight. Opportunities are limited in El Salvador, but this is his home. Someday, he may visit his father’s home although that is not likely during our current administration.