Not long ago, the tiny nation of El Salvador had the highest murder rate in the world. Now, it has the highest incarceration rate. President Nayib Bukele – who has described himself as “the world’s coolest dictator” – has detained 70,000 gang suspects without trial. His supporters point to the homicide rate, which is down 93 per cent. But Bukele’s critics warn that his hardline policies risk sacrificing democracy for security.  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guest: Stephen Gibbs, Latin America Correspondent, The Times. Host: Luke Jones. Clips: NBC, CBS, Channel 4, Sky News Australia, ITV, Al Jazeera, CFR Education. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.