4.3 Political Power and Territoriality

Geopolitical Event: One major geopolitical issue in El Salvador is the rampant gang violence throughout the country and surrounding regions. "Human Rights Watch" states, "Gangs continue to exercise territorial control over some neighborhoods and extort residents throughout the country. They forcibly recruit children and sexually abuse women, girls, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. Gangs kill, disappear, rape, or displace those who resist...From 2011 to October 2020, 71,500 people were internally displaced, mostly due to violence perpetuated by gangs and security forces, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees" (El Salvador). 

Religious or Economic Conflict: El Salvador protects religious freedom and does not allow religious discrimination. Religion and crime are both growing in El Salvador. "The Washington Post" states, "“You see church growth and crime growth at the same time,” said Villalobos, who is active in the evangelical movement in El Salvador. “We see Catholics and Christians who don’t change their heart. They come to church to pray but don’t change their values.” Evangelical Christianity is growing robustly in El Salvador, rising to 40 percent of the population (50 percent are Roman Catholic). But, so far, the booming evangelical megachurches seem ill-equipped to make a dent in the astronomical murder rates and widespread extortion problem...Local journalists and pastors said recently that up to 60 percent of gang members come from evangelical family backgrounds" (Local journalists and pastors said recently that up to 60 percent of gang members come from evangelical family backgrounds). These statistics bring into question the connection between the growth in religion and crime. Poverty in El Salvador actually played a roll in violence and crime. "Brittanica" states, " Pervasive poverty and inequality, combined with 15 percent unemployment and significant underemployment, have contributed to the related problems of crime and violence that have plagued El Salvador since its civil war" (Economy of El Salvador).

Economic Self-Determination: "Brittanica" states, "El Salvador’s economy was predominantly agricultural until industry rapidly expanded in the 1960s and ’70s. Despite its traditional concentration on agriculture, the country is not self-sufficient and must import food. At the root of this problem is the disproportionate distribution of land, which favours commercial crops and leaves many peasants landless and unable to grow subsistence crops" (Economy of El Salvador). "Coin Desk" states, "In particular, Bukele has said bitcoin adoption is aimed at mitigating the inflationary pressure of fiat currencies, especially after the unprecedented bout of U.S. government spending throughout the coronavirus crisis. The coming years will be uncharted territory for El Salvador, bitcoin and – in a real sense – the U.S. dollar...Still, in taking this step, the government is signalling its commitment to financial innovation. Last month it began installing a network of 200 bitcoin ATMs around the country. It’s working to build infrastructure on top of the Algorand blockchain. And its bid to attract foreign investment and crypto talent seems to be paying off" (Daniel Kuhn).

Modern Globalization: Globalization is very effective in the development of El Salvador. For example, "Anissa Saenz-Ochoa" states, "  Globalization in El Salvador has a very positive effect. Due to the country's small size, El Salvador depends heavily on trade with other nations in order to receive goods. For example, the country produces no oil. In order to receive oil, it depends on oil producing countries. Secondly, El Salvador can greatly benefit from the sharing of modern ideas and technology. El Salvador is a developing country. This means that it is a country that is still trying to reach the potential that other countries have been living in for decades. Although El Salvador is developing, the country is seeing a rapid increase in a variety of technologies. These technologies mainly include advancements in communications which allows information from all around the world to be reached...Thirdly, El Salvador has seen globalization take an extensive influence on the economic and political aspects of the country. As a developing country, global interdependence has played a large role in reform and legislation in this nation" (Globalization and El Salvador).

Choke Points: The Panama Canal is a choke point that affects El Salvador. "Safety 4 Sea" states, "The Panama Canal provides a shortcut for ships traveling between the Pacific and the Atlantic. Ships sailing between the east and west coasts of the U.S. save more than 8,000 nautical miles by using the canal, reducing their trip by 21 days" (Which are the world’s most important maritime choke points).