In this episode, Hawk discusses El Salvador, its current President Nayib Bukele, and the controversial CECOT prison. Hawk provides historical context about El Salvador from pre-colonial times through its civil war, explaining how gangs like MS-13 and Barrio 18 (which originated in Los Angeles) created severe violence in El Salvador until Bukele's crackdown beginning in 2022. The video details how El Salvador became the murder capital of the world before Bukele implemented a state of exception that suspended constitutional rights.
Hawk extensively describes the CECOT terrorism confinement center, a massive prison built in just six months that now holds over 14,500 inmates in inhumane conditions. The prison features 30-foot walls, 24-hour artificial lighting, no windows, and cells where up to 160 prisoners share two toilets and two water buckets. Hawk explains that President Bukele claims no prisoner has ever been released from CECOT except one deportee, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was recently moved to another facility after a U.S. Senator's intervention.
The episode also covers the recent arrangement between the Trump administration and El Salvador where the U.S. has deported alleged gang members to CECOT, including many with no criminal record. Hawk notes that Trump has expressed desire to send U.S. citizens to this prison despite legal experts saying this would be impossible under U.S. law. The video concludes with observations about El Salvador's improved safety under Bukele's authoritarian approach and the complex trade-offs between security and human rights.
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