Peru's President tours 40,000 bed prison built under Bukele

Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori toured the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo in El Salvador this Thursday.

The prison holds roughly 40,000 inmates and stands as the centerpiece of President Nayib Bukele's strategy against organized crime. Fujimori arrived as part of an official state visit at Bukele's invitation. She met with Salvadoran Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro, Defense Minister René Francis Merino Monroy, and Cecot Director Belarmino García. Peruvian Interior Minister César Astudillo and Justice Minister Ernesto Álvarez also attended the meeting. Villatoro handed Fujimori a document outlining the national public safety project, which officials refer to as the Bukele model.

During the tour, Fujimori inspected the areas used for internal control and inspection, as well as the armory. She did not enter the corridors where leaders of the Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 gangs are held. Other foreign officials who have visited the complex in recent months have included Chilean President José Antonio Kast, former Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves, former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and former Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich.

The facility began operating in February 2023 during a state of exception declared to fight gang violence. It is located in an isolated, arid area of Tecoluca, more than 70 kilometers from San Salvador. The complex consists of concrete, iron, asphalt, and steel structures guarded by penitentiary agents and soldiers. Watchtowers at the site rise more than 15 meters high. The prison was designed to concentrate the most dangerous gang members, specifically those from MS13 and Barrio 18.

Regional governments have begun adopting elements of this security strategy, particularly in prison construction. Costa Rican President Laura Fernández recently opened the Centro de Alta Contención de Crimen Organizado, a mega prison with capacity for more than 5,000 high-risk inmates. Ecuador also launched a detention center for 800 people inspired by the Salvadoran approach.

Human rights organizations have questioned the conditions of detention and reported abuses during the state of exception. Despite these criticisms, the Cecot remains a reference point for Latin American leaders seeking to replicate aspects of the Salvadoran model against organized crime.