El Salvador began the rating period with the world’s highest homicide rate, uncertainty over long-stalled corruption investigations, and a policing strategy that had failed to meet citizen needs—all root causes of illegal migration. Stemming this migration flow is the Embassy's top priority as laid out in both our Integrated Country Strategy and U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America. Leading one of the Embassy's largest sections, I knew instinctively that I had to hire additional advisors, realign staff to mission goals, and create a multiyear strategy document to help us better address these drivers of migration. The new advisors joined an already high functioning team, but by aligning our efforts, we were able to play a significant
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As such, I spent the past year working with Salvadoran interlocutors and the international community to establish protocols to combat corruption. These protocols have helped strengthen institutional capacity to recognize, prevent, and investigate corruption, create accountability, and increase public faith in government. In July, I presented before the United Nations in Vienna on the importance of these efforts becoming international best practices. Since we began working in earnest, the Attorney General has arrested his predecessor, an ex-Minister, judges, and mayors on corruption charges, while filing civil charges against three ex-Presidents. As a result, 70 percent of Salvadorans now characterize the work of the AG as good or very good, while 75 percent believe he should be supported in his efforts to prosecute those accused of corruption. Seizing upon this success, we expanded our efforts to include new projects to confront cybercrime, human trafficking, and modern day …show more content…
The team succeeded, and the police are now effectively directing their limited resources to arresting the most urgent public security threats. The philosophy has since been adopted nationwide and includes key community policing and prevention components, such as police instructed Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) and Police Athletic Leagues (PAL)—both sponsored by INL. Due to increased demand, we expanded both programs, and in the last year, 16,000 potential gang recruits graduated from GREAT, while PAL reached 4,000 youth in seven high risk municipalities. We also encouraged the police to interact with the communities they serve and helped them create a multiyear public relations campaign called “Heroes of El Salvador” to improve public perception—one of my goals this rating period. We are starting to see signs of success as 80 percent of those recently surveyed said that they now have a favorable opinion of the police; while 97 percent of students responded in another survey that they enjoy their interaction with the police. These outstanding results led to Honduras replicating our campaign. With these successes, I am optimistic the number willing to take the journey north will
As such, I spent the past year working with Salvadoran interlocutors and the international community to establish protocols to combat corruption. These protocols have helped strengthen institutional capacity to recognize, prevent, and investigate corruption, create accountability, and increase public faith in government. In July, I presented before the United Nations in Vienna on the importance of these efforts becoming international best practices. Since we began working in earnest, the Attorney General has arrested his predecessor, an ex-Minister, judges, and mayors on corruption charges, while filing civil charges against three ex-Presidents. As a result, 70 percent of Salvadorans now characterize the work of the AG as good or very good, while 75 percent believe he should be supported in his efforts to prosecute those accused of corruption. Seizing upon this success, we expanded our efforts to include new projects to confront cybercrime, human trafficking, and modern day …show more content…
The team succeeded, and the police are now effectively directing their limited resources to arresting the most urgent public security threats. The philosophy has since been adopted nationwide and includes key community policing and prevention components, such as police instructed Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) and Police Athletic Leagues (PAL)—both sponsored by INL. Due to increased demand, we expanded both programs, and in the last year, 16,000 potential gang recruits graduated from GREAT, while PAL reached 4,000 youth in seven high risk municipalities. We also encouraged the police to interact with the communities they serve and helped them create a multiyear public relations campaign called “Heroes of El Salvador” to improve public perception—one of my goals this rating period. We are starting to see signs of success as 80 percent of those recently surveyed said that they now have a favorable opinion of the police; while 97 percent of students responded in another survey that they enjoy their interaction with the police. These outstanding results led to Honduras replicating our campaign. With these successes, I am optimistic the number willing to take the journey north will