Nayib Bukele is the current president of El Salvador, having served since 2019. Throughout his tenure, he has consistently maintained high approval ratings from his people, hovering around 90%. His policies are eccentric to say the least, promoting El Salvador as the first country to adopt Bitcoin as a legal tender. Additionally, Bukele maintains an active presence on Twitter, where he includes the title "Philosopher King." in his bio.

Before 2022, El Salvador was known internationally for being the country with the highest murder rate, earning it the reputation as the murder capital of the world. On a single day, 25 March 2022, 87 people were murdered in the streets of El Salvador by gangs. In response, Bukele initiated a massive crackdown on gangs and crime, declaring a state of emergency or "régimen de excepción."

Following the crackdown, the incarceration rate soared. By December 2023, over 100,000 people were incarcerated, amounting to roughly 1.7% of the population. Subsequently, the murder rate in the country significantly declined, with the government claiming a nearly 70% reduction. The state of emergency has been extended 21 times by the Legislative Assembly and enjoys strong approval ratings. According to a Gallup poll, 91% of Salvadorans supported the gang crackdown, with 78% expressing strong support for it.