El Salvador has undergone a sweeping transformation from a country once defined by gang violence and instability into what officials now describe as one of the safest nations in the Americas, Vice President Felix Ulloa said, outlining a broad strategy that combines security enforcement, institutional reform and technological modernization.
Speaking to Daily Sabah on Saturday on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Ulloa detailed how the administration of President Nayib Bukele has reshaped the country’s governance model since taking office in 2019.
“When we took office in June 2019, the legacy that we received was actually a country on ashes,” Ulloa said. “There was corruption at the state level. There was a high level of criminality.”
He said El Salvador was previously labeled the “capital of homicide in the world,” driven by widespread gang violence that dominated communities and public life.
“Now, six years later, we are the safest country in the Americas and one of the most safe countries in the world,” he added.
Ulloa emphasized that restoring security was the government’s first and most urgent priority, forming the foundation for broader institutional transformation.
He noted that authorities have detained large numbers of gang members as part of a sweeping crackdown aimed at reestablishing territorial control and rebuilding public trust in state institutions.
The vice president argued that this shift has not only improved safety but also enabled the government to implement deeper reforms across governance, the economy and public services.
Alongside security gains, Ulloa highlighted a parallel effort to modernize the state through digital transformation and forward-looking regulation.
“President Bukele is very much oriented to technology and he promised that the Salvadorian people will be very functional in the fourth industrial revolution,” he said.
As part of this vision, El Salvador became the first country in the world to adopt bitcoin as legal tender, alongside introducing electronic billing systems, digital signatures and telework regulations.
“We enacted different laws, we have the electronic bill, electronic signature, the telework,” Ulloa said, adding that the country has also established a dedicated digital assets commission.
According to him, more than 60 international companies have already registered under this framework, reflecting growing investor interest.
“If any company dealing with innovation wants to come and be installed in El Salvador, they will get more than 15 years with no taxes,” he said.
Education and connectivity
Ulloa emphasized that human capital development is central to sustaining the country’s transformation.
“We think that it is not just adopting the legal framework that will be functional in the digital era. We are also preparing our population. All the students and teachers from the public sector have received an electronic device, either a tablet or a laptop, for free. We have delivered more than 1.5 million laptops and tablets to all the public schools,” he said.
“We are using Google Classroom as the tool to teach our children. That means that in the coming future, the Salvadorian people, the new generation, will be functional because they have been educated with these new technologies,” Ulloa said.
He also pointed to expanded connectivity through satellite technology. “We have adopted Starlink in all the rural areas in order to provide a connection with the internet,” Ulloa said.
Looking ahead, Ulloa highlighted new AI-driven initiatives in education. “This year, we approved a new project. It will be a tutor for every single student, for free. That is the way that El Salvador is transforming its education system,” he said.
Ulloa said improved security has directly contributed to a surge in tourism, reshaping the country’s global image.
“After being warned as a dangerous country six years ago, now we have become the most attractive country for international tourism in the region. Last year, we surpassed 4 million international tourists in El Salvador. It was the highest rate of tourism in all the region,” he said.
“And we are among the five top countries that have growth in tourism worldwide. So tourism for us is now the first source of international currency,” he added.
To support this growth, the government is expanding infrastructure and services, Ulloa said, “We are aware that we need more hotels, more restaurants, more transportation. We made a deal with a Turkish company to extend the seaport facilities. Because in the past, no one cruise went to El Salvador, now we have received more than 10.”
He also pointed to the role of global events in boosting visibility, including the Miss Universe competition and international surfing events.
Ulloa said the country’s improved international image has been driven largely by firsthand experiences of visitors rather than traditional campaigns.
“There is a simple way, and it is inviting people to come over, visit El Salvador, and then they become our ambassadors and our promoters. At the beginning, people were kind of doubtful. They had doubts if they could travel or not,” he said.
“They started testing the situation, then they came back to their countries, and they said El Salvador is really a safe country. When the people travel and they go deep, they express authentic feelings, and that is the most powerful message that we have,” Ulloa added.
Expanding cooperation with Türkiye
Ulloa said El Salvador is seeking to strengthen ties with Türkiye across diplomatic and economic sectors.
“We opened an embassy here in Türkiye. Türkiye has an embassy in El Salvador. That is a message that the two governments want to strengthen their relations diplomatically, politically, but also economically,” he said.
He highlighted opportunities for cooperation in renewable energy, particularly geothermal. “We are very interested in geothermal energy because we do not have oil. We do not have diamonds. We do not have another resource. But we have the volcanoes that produce the geothermal energy,” Ulloa said.
“In one of the shortest speeches that I ever heard from President Bukele, he summarized everything saying, ‘Welcome to El Salvador, a country who rebirthed.’ The rebirth is coming from the ashes, and you are presenting a new country,” he said.
He added that reforms across governance, security and economic policy are restoring stability and opportunity.
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