Two American citizens who entered El Salvador for tourism were held in prisons linked to President Nayib Bukele’s security campaign and told by authorities they were gang members. The case reported by El País on 21 September 2026 describes detentions without clear evidence and a near impossibility to prove innocence under the State of Exception. The incident raises questions about misidentification risk for foreign visitors.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Q: Were American tourists really jailed in El Salvador?
- A: Yes. El País reported on 21 September 2026 that two US citizens who entered for tourism were detained and held in prisons linked to Bukele’s security campaign.
- Q: Why were they accused of being gang members?
- A: Authorities told them they were gang members without clear evidence, illustrating misidentification risk under El Salvador’s anti-gang crackdown.
- Q: What is the State of Exception in El Salvador?
- A: It is an emergency regime enabling mass detentions with limited due process, central to President Nayib Bukele’s anti-gang war.
- Q: Is it safe for foreigners to travel to El Salvador now?
- A: Wrongful detention risk exists. Foreign visitors can face misidentification and difficulty proving innocence under current security laws.