The New York Young Republican Club applauds the people of El Salvador for their tenacious resolve in rounding up the ruthless MS-13 and 18th Street gangsters and excising them from communities across the country. Before the election of President Nayib Bukele and his determination to solve the perpetual pestilence of gang violence, Salvadorans lived in abject fear. Today, they have true freedom and security in their homes and nations.
Previous Salvadoran governments and their bureaucrats operated in a league with gangs. They allowed Salvadorans to live under the specter of violent crime and ruthless criminality. And unfortunately, much of that crime seeped out of El Salvador into the United States, where our porous border and weak prosecutorial standards endangered Americans.
The Biden administration’s denial of America’s border insecurity has resulted in MS-13 gangsters and their ilk gaining territory over the last several years to the point where they have not only replaced the mafia but with a far more ruthless and deadly impact on our society. In the moments we do “confront” MS-13, our Leftist politicians allow them to get away with their crimes by reducing their penalties, pretending these criminals are merely victims of society and not the murderous animals that they are.
It is embarrassing for our nation that President Bukele, by cracking down hard on gangs in El Salvador, has done more to protect American sovereignty and our citizens’ safety than Joe Biden has done. We commend President Bukele for expanding El Salvador’s prison capacity and for not being shy about putting it to use. Gang members should live in abject fear, and no one should consider entering a gang a noble or worthwhile pursuit.
Hopefully, the resurgent example set by El Salvador will serve as a wake-up call for Americans that it is time for our nation to become a world leader again rather than continuing on the path of decay.