El Salvador's Security Minister Meets with Right-Wing Figures in São Paulo

Gustavo Villatoro, the Minister of Security of El Salvador, visited São Paulo on August 31 to discuss the security policies of President Nayib Bukele. The minister spoke at a public security congress hosted by the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp) and attended a dinner organized by the conservative film producer Brasil Paralelo. During these events, Villatoro defended the Salvadoran government's hardline approach to combating criminal gangs, which includes mass incarceration and long prison sentences. He criticized international human rights organizations, calling them hypocrites and claiming they are part of a plot against the Bukele administration.

Several Brazilian right-wing political figures expressed support for the Salvadoran model. Among them were presidential candidates Flávio Bolsonaro, Romeu Zema, Ronaldo Caiado, and Renan Santos. Sergio Moro, a candidate for governor of Paraná, stated that if elected, he would create a maximum security prison named El Salvador in honor of these policies. Other candidates from the PL, Novo, União Brasil, and PP parties were also noted as participants who sought interaction with the minister.

Reports on the event differ in their framing. A center-leaning source focused on the enthusiasm of right-wing candidates, describing them as fawning over the minister while noting that the security strategy has reduced crime but faces accusations of human rights violations. A left-leaning source framed the event as propaganda for a punitive model, emphasizing the suspension of legal guarantees and the fact that nearly 2 percent of El Salvador's population is incarcerated.