"Only the state can be violent": El Salvador's Bukele shares hardline crime-strategy with Costa Rica - Video

Known internationally for his aggressive stance on crime, Bukele has overseen the arrest of tens of thousands of alleged gang members in El Salvador, sparking both praise and criticism.

Standing alongside President Chaves in Costa Rica’s capital, Bukele addressed the issue of organised crime and the financial challenges of countering it. "While the government gives you $3,000, the criminal gives you $5,000 — there is no way a government can compete with the incentives of crime," he is quoted by the AFP. Bukele argued that crime is a well-funded enterprise that often outpaces government efforts in vulnerable areas.

Bukele emphasised the role of the state in controlling violence, advocating for government intervention to maintain peace. "No one but the state can be violent, and then only to intervene and keep the peace, nothing more," he explained. "The state's violence should not be used to violate human rights, but to guarantee the human rights of the people whose human rights are never defended."

Bukele’s administration declared a state of emergency in March 2022 following a surge in murders, suspending certain constitutional rights and allowing police to arrest suspects without warrants. The emergency powers have been renewed repeatedly, with supporters crediting the approach for reducing crime and critics arguing it enables human rights abuses. Human rights groups have condemned the sweeping arrests, with reports of innocent individuals caught up in what Bukele terms a "war" on gangs.