# Salvadoran Salvation (DD-751)

> El Salvador recorded 6,656 homicides in 2015, a rate of about 105 per 100,000 and among the highest in the world. The Attorney General's office reported 114 for 2024. Since March 2022 a state of exception has suspended some constitutional rights, and more than 83,000 people were detained by late 2024. The government credits the crackdown for the fall. Analysts say the official count now excludes some categories of deaths, and the IACHR and Amnesty International report arbitrary detentions and deaths in custody.

- Department: Locations (also History)
- First published: 2026-10-16
- Last updated: 2026-10-16
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/salvadoran-salvation/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **2015**: 6,656 homicides, about 105 per 100,000
- **March 2022**: State of exception declared after at least 92 killings
- **2024**: 114 homicides reported by the Attorney General

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=salvadoran-salvation

## Quick facts

- **DD-751-F01**: El Salvador's homicide rate peaked at about 105 per 100,000 in 2015. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (From the world's highest))_
- **DD-751-F02**: The state of exception begun in March 2022 had been extended 33 times by December 2024. _(Write-up · Exhibit C (The crackdown))_

## Write-up

El Salvador's official homicide count fell from thousands to 114. The drop is real; how it's counted, and its human-rights cost, are disputed.

1. **From the world's highest**: In 2015 and 2016, El Salvador recorded more homicides per capita than any other country, peaking at about 105 per 100,000 people in 2015. The rate had fallen to about 53 by the end of the Sánchez Cerén presidency, after a 2016 gang non-aggression pact, and to about 18 by 2021.
2. **The 2024 figure**: The Attorney General reported 114 intentional homicides for 2024, while the National Civil Police's daily tally came to 106. Both are the lowest figures in at least a decade.
3. **The crackdown**: After at least 92 killings over March 24 to 27, 2022, the Legislative Assembly approved a state of exception that suspends several constitutional guarantees. It had been extended 33 times by December 2024, and the security cabinet reported about 83,100 people detained. The government attributes the drop in homicides largely to this measure.
4. **Counting disputes**: Since 2021 the official count has not followed the regional Bogotá Protocol. It excludes remains found in clandestine graves, people killed in confrontations with security forces, and deaths in prison. An analysis cited by Foreign Policy estimated this undercounted 2023 homicides by up to 47%.
5. **Human-rights concerns**: Amnesty International documented arrests based on quotas, anonymous tips or tattoos, as well as mass trials and deaths in state custody. It reported that about 1.8% of the population is incarcerated. The IACHR acknowledged the security gains but said the improvements themselves undercut the case for keeping rights suspended.

## Reel vs. record

- **Counting**: the 114 figure comes from a method that, since 2021, excludes remains in clandestine graves, deaths in confrontations with security forces and deaths in prison. Critics estimate the official count undercounted 2023 homicides by up to 47%, so comparisons with 2015 are not like for like.
- **Exact figures**: 2015 had 6,656 homicides, a rate of about 105 per 100,000. For 2024 the Attorney General reported 114 while the police tally was 106.
- **Missing context**: homicides were already falling before the crackdown, to about 18 per 100,000 in 2021, during a period that Foreign Policy and others link to secret government-gang negotiations.
- **Missing context**: the crackdown is a state of exception suspending constitutional rights, extended 33 times by December 2024, with more than 83,000 people detained.
- **Balance**: human-rights bodies, including Amnesty International and the IACHR, report arbitrary detentions, mass trials and deaths in custody. The footage is credited to President Nayib Bukele's own account.

## Video: Salvadoran Salvation: El Salvador's Official Homicide Count Fell From Thousands to 114

- Duration: 23.2 s · Published: 2026-10-16
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DekoxP3x31-.mp4

### Transcript

DID YOU KNOW? El Salvador has recently undergone dramatic reductions in violent crime, transforming daily life across the country. In 2015, the nation recorded more than 6,000 homicides, but by 2024 that figure had fallen to 114, according to official statistics. The government launched a sweeping crackdown on criminal gangs, allowing residents to reclaim neighborhoods, parks, and public spaces. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: How many homicides did El Salvador record in 2015?**  
A: 6,656, a rate of about 105 per 100,000. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (From the world's highest) · Foreign Policy (2024): El Salvador Has Undercounted Homicides Under Bukele)_

**Q: Which office reported 114 homicides for 2024?**  
A: The Attorney General reported 114; the police tally was 106. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (The 2024 figure) · El Salvador Now (2025): 2024 homicide figures don't match between Police and Prosecutor's Office; El Diario de Hoy (2024): Finaliza 2024 con la tasa más baja de homicidios en los últimos diez años)_

**Q: When did El Salvador's state of exception begin?**  
A: It began in March 2022 after a weekend of gang killings. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (The crackdown) · IACHR (2024): State of Emergency and Human Rights in El Salvador; El Salvador Now (2025): 2024 homicide figures don't match between Police and Prosecutor's Office)_

**Q: Which category does the current official count exclude?**  
A: It also excludes remains in clandestine graves and deaths in prison. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Counting disputes) · El Diario de Hoy (2024): Finaliza 2024 con la tasa más baja de homicidios en los últimos diez años; Foreign Policy (2024): El Salvador Has Undercounted Homicides Under Bukele)_

**Q: Roughly what share of the population is incarcerated, per Amnesty?**  
A: Amnesty cites about 1.8%, the highest rate in the Americas. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Human-rights concerns) · Amnesty International (2024): El Salvador, a thousand days into the state of emergency; IACHR (2024): State of Emergency and Human Rights in El Salvador)_

## Sources

- [Foreign Policy (2024): El Salvador Has Undercounted Homicides Under Bukele](https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/08/08/el-salvador-bukele-crime-homicide-prison-gangs/)
- [El Salvador Now (2025): 2024 homicide figures don't match between Police and Prosecutor's Office](https://www.elsalvadornow.org/2025/01/06/2024-homicide-figures-dont-match-between-police-and-prosecutors-office-cifras-de-homicidios-de-2024-no-coinciden-entre-policia-y-fiscalia/)
- [El Diario de Hoy (2024): Finaliza 2024 con la tasa más baja de homicidios en los últimos diez años](https://www.elsalvador.com/h-noticias/h-nacional/homicidios-indice-de-pnc-violencia-sucesos-2024/1190065/2024/)
- [IACHR (2024): State of Emergency and Human Rights in El Salvador](https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/reports/pdfs/2024/report_stateemergencyhumanrights_elsalvador%20%281%29.pdf)
- [Amnesty International (2024): El Salvador, a thousand days into the state of emergency](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/12/el-salvador-mil-dias-regimen-excepcion-modelo-seguridad-a-costa-derechos-humanos/)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Salvadoran Salvation." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-751, last updated Oct 16, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/salvadoran-salvation/