I just came back from holidays in El Salvador. San Salvador is full of solders, police and armed security. People I e spoken to are happy to have their lives back from the gangs. Santa Ana’s Plaza Liberty is full of families, children and vendors. That’s something you’d never think would happen. Bukele should be proud of what he’s done! I know I am!
@ClassicRiki ...Not really.They aren't the problem,they are the symptoms.When your government is corrupt,and can lock away anyone for any reason,that's what you need to be afraid of.
What a true surprise. I hadnt seen this channel before and especially had no idea it was just another simon whistler channel. To hear simons voice immediately after starting the video was a relief as i now know... This video will be tremendous
Same, i clicked only cause i saw the thumbnail looks like his channels and suspected maybe he created another one 😂 his channel are like easter egg hunt
How many channels does this guy narrate this is like the 4th or 5th channel I see this guy talking with his accent that makes him sound all smarter than everyone
@@John-86dude áre You going to cry about this in every of the comments Simón is british get over yourself He aint trying to sound superior to anyone Is just how he speaks and no he is not An AI He is very real
My minor was in Holocaust and genocide studies so I PROMISE I’m far from okay with human rights violations of any kind. However I can’t help but notice that the western nations that criticize El Salvador for their heavy handed justice system are largely countries that have low to moderate crime rates. They’re countries whose entire population hasn’t lived under decades of gang rule, fear, and death. My question to those countries is “what would your grand scheme be for handling this situation?” What better solution do we as “western civilized” nations have that shows concrete proof of working? The US justice system is a holy wreck and the countries with low crimes rates don’t have to create super max prisons. I just feel like we’re judging a small country with a government that’s just getting their feet under them for dealing with a situation we don’t have experience with. I *desperately wish* that there was a more human way to deal with thousands of people and reintegrate them into society but when you live in a crime state, an 83% success rate in convicting the right people sounds like a dream come true. I hope that with the decline in gang presence there will be an overall decline in gangs in the country as a whole and that eventually there will not be a need for places like CECOT.
In the 80s no one went anywhere near El Salvador on a tourist ticket. Today visitors are coming back in droves. Just by watching the James Woods movie was enough.
I lived and worked in El Salvador and learnt what fear is on a daily basis. I´m glad that someone had the idea of CECOT to make the country safer to live in. It´s a beautiful country like most of central America with lush vegitation. They removed all the vegetation from around CECOT to increase visibility for the security forces. Where did you get the idea of desert which you mention in the video? Maybe other countries with the same problem could learn from this example.
Regarding the question about the desert, I should imagine that it is merely a poetic descriptor of the deforestation that has been performed to clear lines of sight. I can’t be sure, but I would think that the writer is using the word in the vernacular, rather than in technical sense (as you say, it’s not a real desert as science/meteorology would define it). Just a guess, but I think my guess feels about right. And yes, it’s certainly a beautiful land, I agree!
@@jontaedouglas7244All things considering If the actions taken were not done, they would have fallen along the same path as Haiti. Don't forget republics are not natural forms of governments.
@@paulgoodridge2269 true enough but I’m sure if haitis president would’ve did this before being assassinated the international community most likely wouldn’t have given him the same grace they’re giving El Salvador
@@jontaedouglas7244 If I'm thinking correct, he got assassinated via Palace coup. Way before things got to the point where applying the sledgehammer would have done anything useful.
Especially when Bukele won't be in charge in 4 years unless he amends the constitution. The others are again the corrupt racket that made the deal with gangs and they are not concretely affirming to continue the practice.
@@ramseydoon8277 what I'm going to say is vengeance is not a priority at this point. El Salvador was at a point where they needed someone to speak the language all criminals speak, violence, and do so in such a fashion to reinstate the Monopoly of violence. Failure to do so would only lead to the same situation that Haiti is in.
Simon you definitely have very good information and amazing content on you tube. keep up the excellent work you and your associates do on the World Wide Web.
Met him in person. Very mweh exp. Not a nice guy. He does a good job at youtube and i can appreciate that so still watch it and just try to forget his real life character.
It’s not a ‘dark secret’ - it’s something that El Salvador is very proud of, they told the world all about it and many countries are begging their governments to do exactly the same thing
RICO act is for criminal organizations, and the line between club and gang is perception and appearance, my bike club was on the road weekly going places we found on a map, we could only tour once a week because we all worked jobs, but we had patches for our vests, we might have had more than 2 bikes in a parking spot occasionally but that was the most severe crime committed as a bike club
*El Salvador is in Central America (a subregion of North America). Also, Simon is everywhere now. I just randomly client clicked on this video and, boom, surprise! It’s Simon.
Considering here in the US where one could argue human rights are at their absolute pinnacle, innocent people are wrongfully detained and arrested regularly, this seems like a pretty solid solution.
What makes you think it’s strictly a US problem? Only reason you have accurate numbers is because everything isn’t hidden by your government. Sweden/Britain/Germany they fudge the numbers on Arab s*x crimes so people can call others islamaphobes for saying they commit any kind of crimes.
"Third rule problems require third world solutions." Forgot who said this? The problems El Salvador was facing required a de facto dictator to take control and speak the only language gangs know violence. All things considering this is a good thing and a necessary action for the El Salvador government to take. Otherwise they end up like Haiti.
Loved this episode! Such a fascinating ethical quandary! A more aggressive approach was clearly warranted, and the thousands of lives saved must be part of any debate on the tactics employed, but it seems like the pendulum might have swung too far in El Salvador. The need to get the worst offenders off the street does not mean that due process should be thrown to the wind. If you can achieve the same or a similar result while protecting the innocent from wrongful detention, clearly that is a goal worth pursuing. They need to work much harder at making sure that detainees have actually earned their detention. It is also worth pointing out that where reform is possible, people should be afforded an opportunity for redemption. Some people can slide into a bad rut, but few are actually psychopaths, and most are basically good. If you can teach a man to treat his fellow citizens with respect, society is better off with that man in a job than in a cage. Side note: as an atheist, I would loathe having my country named "The Savior". Ew!
I don’t feel much either way about Bukele but the amount of tears coming from Westerners about the “human rights” of Narco-Terrorists is laughable. Why do criminals even unrepentant career criminals must be always forgiven or treated lightly? It’s utterly absurd.
i mean, part of it *is* concern for the genuinely innocent who got swept up, and for the lack of due process in some of these trials. but yeah, i find it fairly hard to summon much sympathy for the genuinely guilty when gang activity has terrorised ordinary El Salvadoreans for so long.
The _government_ estimates that about one in six people who get this treatment are innocent. The actual number is likely higher. Also, once you've set a precedent like this, you cannot trust everyone who comes after Bukele to use this kind of power responsibly even if Bukele himself never fully goes off the deep end.
When Simon literally says: I'm not saying you should forgive these criminals.. Where did you get "Westerner tears about them" ? Pretty funny take which I assume you probably misunderstood or misheard. Because locking up innocents for life without due process doesn't seem like something any rational person should agree to.
Forgive me, that thumbnail juat made me burst out laughing 😂. The expression is almost cartoonish and the massive amount of face tattoos don't do him any favors 😅
Even when considering innocent people locked up, it's still going to be far less than those that were unfairly targeted by the gangs. As in people that did not try to interact with any gang members at all, being targeted for robbery or whatever. Also, eventually the innocent should be released one day. What very unfair is gang members getting preferential treatment over innocent people that get locked up.
Considering gang members as terrorists I believe they have found a solution. Unfortunately, we need that same facility in the United States but we will never have it because criminals have more rights than victims.
IF I was a law abiding citizen of El Salvador with no past gang affiliation I'd be overjoyed by what president Bukele has done to clean up the country.
Wrong. "A society should be judged not by how it treats its outstanding citizens but by how it treats its criminals." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Fyodor Dostoevsky.
My nephew is one of those of 1 in 6 are innocent, wrong place wrong time and one lying piece of shit, as painful it is the last 2 yrs have been, it also nice to hear stories how my country has changed for the better… Now problem is, what happens when Bukele leaves in 4 yrs? Our politicians are not guarantees of keeping it going.
Sometimes the right thing to do is to what's necessary not what's morally correct. El Salvador saved their country as unfair and hard that sounds, life is not fair. We're not talking about criminals who commit petty theft, but gangs that had the capacity to attack neighboring countries who were effectively running the country. No war is won without casualties.
I hate how these videos have the least consistent audio levels ever. Go to one video, set the volume, then go to the next video from the same channel and it feels like it's 50% volume of the previous.
That and the change in volume while he's talking in each video. I can't fall asleep to these videos because if I had it loud enough to hear his quietest speaking I'd just be startled awake by the loudest parts 😂😢
I wonder if Mexico could ever give this an honest go ever again because they did try at one point and it failed massively. The cartels feel like they have way too much of a hold.
1:46 How can it be "the Alcatraz of South America" if El Salvador is in Central America? (The division between North and Central technically fall somewhere in the south of Mexico, while the division between Central and South is the Darién Gap.)
i would have been more impressed with the bus fact if it was told how it is. that wall is almost as tall as 3 london double decker buses stacked on top of each other. not just 1
3:17 "...in the middle of a desert, miles from any civilian settlements." ...shows a satellite image of it in the middle of farmland, 1000 feet from a road with houses on either side. 🤣
Incredible episode about Elsalvador ultra secure and robust designed prison(cecot) for detained street gangsters and underground world criminals... most of these prisoners were Elsilphador migrated unskilled workers in the USA 🇺🇸. But they converted to street gangsters...US authorities deported them to Elsilphador in South America contents
I want to first say before writing this comment that I am NOT comparing directly these 2 prison camp systems in 2 different eras of time in 2 completely different parts of the world and they were built for quite the different reasons. The other camps I'm talking about are the ones that were built in Germany in 1935-1944. There's a famous poem written by a Christian priest (I don't remember if he was catholic or protestant, but I don't think that really matters here), who first liked the policies that were changed in 1933 Germany, but ultimately he was also sent into one of those camps, I don't remember what year, but he survived throught the camps and came out alive in 1945 and he wrote a poem that has become pretty famous worlwide regarding authoritarian regimes and how their policies can become a slippery slope to put almost anyone into prison the ones in power think belong in prison for whatever reason and once you take our the court part of putting people into prison and just start throwing people into prison based on their tattoos or any other "distinctive" looks from the majority of population, it truly comes a slippery slope for a full on absolute authoritarian regime to rise and Bukelele has already jokingly said before in his Twitter bio something like "The world'd most liked dictator"... But yea the famous priest who first supported the 1933 German "workers" party, their head figure and their policies, but once he had seen everything unfold in 1945 and he was set free from the camps: "First they came...": "First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist, Then they came for the Socialists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist, Then they came for the trade unionists And I did not speak out Because I was not a trade unionist, Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew, Then they came for me And there was no one left To speak out for me." -Martin Niemöller in 1946, the priest who was a conservatve and first was fine and even encouraged the behaviours that were happening in 1935-1936 Germany onwards... Imo that's one of the most powerful poems of all time and a good reminder on what Bukele's type of administration could do if they wanted. Like I already said I AM NOT SAYING that Bukele is doing the same thing as was happening in 1930s Germany, he's doing it mostly to actual criminals who have been terrorizing and pretty much held all the power in his corrupt country for decades and he had to live throught it (Most likely having family members "gone missing" etc...), but my point is that after all the actual criminals are in prison, what Will happen then? If the courts have been taken away or they're completely under goverment rule, he could do pretty much anything he wants next and that's why I'm saying it's a slippery slope🤷🏻♂️ I am not trying to say to any El-Salvadorian on how to live their life and from what I've seen from El-Salvadorians comment on video's about Bukele's Mega-prison, he's actually brought peace to the country after decades and grandmother/grandfathers who haven't been able to come back to El-Salvdor to visit their families for decades, because it was too dangerous and no kids were playing outside in the streets, now almost everyone who was too scared to come back to El-Salvador, because of the incresibly high crime rate before Bukele's radical policies and now all those things have been possible now, because of those reforms. I'm just trying to warn every El-Salvadorian, beware what might happen after all the "actual criminals" have been locked up, Bukele has been praised to death by his people, so it's no wonder if the power will corrupt him and his ego, like they say absolute power corrupts absolutely.
I like how it’s currently going (mostly) BUTTTTTT if this power falls in the wrong hands it could easily be one of the most horrific situations ever seen by humanity.
My feeling is the sentencing mechanism is when they bring out the evidence against the individual. To be arrested, I would think someone must have accused them or they were a know gang collaborator. If someone was found innocent I would expect it to occur here. Makes you wonder what evidence is enough to convict for life. Can one person’s word be enough?
The amount of revenue generated by the law abiding citizens and subsequent tourists, is more than enough to keep the lights on and all locked up until death. Even if it costs a billion each year (unlikely), it is worth it having true security in your country
Its the last term as per constitution for Bukele, so after 4 years, maybe all of them will be released. But he can also start assessing the innocents and perhaps have some success in getting them out. For now though the people are not in the mood of having such potential criminals out and about again. Remember this estimate is from a single police official, its far from credible, let alone reliably quantifiable in the first place.
Most that are alleged "innocent" people in the prisons are infact affiliated but non initiated members of these gangs. They bring the message you need to pay or die. They collect the money for the gangs, and they identify you as a target for the gangs in the first place. They also keep tabs on your whereabouts for these deadly gangs. See,...not so innocent after all. But of course, all these family members claim their son or daughter is a perfect angel, sweet as can be. A complete innocent 😇.
I understand the period of stabilization but the problem is when this becomes a permanent police state. Innocent people have no recourse and political opposition might even be scared to operate.
This very well might be a naive question, but how could anyone turn sheets, mattresses, or a pillow into weapons?? If it's not obvious, I've never had to think about anything like that...
If you wrap them up tight enough, it's not easy but remember you've nothing but time to get it right, they become very solid especially if you hit with the end of it. I've seen someone make a very dangerous crossbow type weapon with extremely sharp and dangerous darts using just a magazine, elastic from boxer shorts and water and that's in a British prison. It's amazing how inventive people can be when it comes to hurting people which is part of why war is such a great way of developing the modern world unfortunately.
@@jeffdroog i have an iphone 12. it is quite old yes and i know the speakers are quieter because they’re wrapped in that waterproof shit, but other channels are normal volume. Projects, megaprojects, McNasty, other youtubers etc etc
@cwj2733 That seems like a personal issue then,because as I said,I've got my phone on half volume,and hearing it just fine...Could be how youtube compresses different videos,and their audio.
Government is always fully entrenched, otherwise its not a government. As for what happens later, Russia is a prime example. Just like the Russians after the dark decades of gang violence where Putin rescued them, and thus are tremendously happy with him, El Salvadorians are happy with Bukele. The government decided to do elections this year, because they knew they will win but regardless they are a democratic country and people have made their choice. Its always the people who matter not the external spectators who know nothing about the predicaments of these people. Perhaps if we had a virtual full body simulator, we could make a scenario where these spectators get to experience all the horrors for years on end, perhaps if they don't get mad in the process, they will be on the same level and could pass judgement.
Best thing they ever did! My spouse is from there…I’ve been there 14 times, starting in 1996, the difference is absolutely INCREDIBLE!!! the people can walk the streets again, there’s no more fear, I can walk wherever I want without being attacked (I’m a big guy, they didn’t succeed). Despite the flaws, it’s THE best thing the government ever did, and the country is now thriving! I go for a month every year, now I feel so safe, it’s just amazing! Ps - the innocent people being locked away there? WRONG! Urban legend…..they don’t arrest people for nothing, trust me (I have many family members working in law enforcement there, federal, and local, and they arrest ONLY if they have 100% proof of guilt!).
SAW A DOCUMENTARY ON A DIFFERENT UA-cam CHANNEL ABOUT THIS PRISON. THE DOCUMENTARY SAID THAT THE PRISONERS ARE ALL FORCEFULLY CASTRATED ONCE THEY GET TO THIS PRISON. IF THIS IS ACCURATE, THAT IS HORRIBLE.
Now give us the numbers of all the inocent civilians who haven't died. How many arent victims of gang violence? How many since... Tens, hundreds of thousands? Which of the 2 do Salvadorians prefer? Because they are the only ones allowed to a say in all of this.
I just came back from holidays in El Salvador. San Salvador is full of solders, police and armed security. People I e spoken to are happy to have their lives back from the gangs. Santa Ana’s Plaza Liberty is full of families, children and vendors. That’s something you’d never think would happen. Bukele should be proud of what he’s done! I know I am!
“Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent”.
Make that "Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the victims" and I'd agree.
@andersjjensen wouldn't the victims be innocent?
@@06h3yeeyee3 Yes but the innocent won't necessarily be victims.
As a Salvadorean knowing my kid are safe walking to school and my parents don't have to fear our safety is worth every gang member in jail.
That's what's up..
@OB-tx9me Just wait until you do something you don't think is wrong,and you end up there...Like all of the other innocent people there.
@@jeffdroogI would imagine that living in fear of the gangs is its own prison mate
@ClassicRiki ...Not really.They aren't the problem,they are the symptoms.When your government is corrupt,and can lock away anyone for any reason,that's what you need to be afraid of.
@@jeffdroogI think that’s a risk their willing to take to have their children not at risk of being murdered.
What a true surprise. I hadnt seen this channel before and especially had no idea it was just another simon whistler channel. To hear simons voice immediately after starting the video was a relief as i now know... This video will be tremendous
Same, i clicked only cause i saw the thumbnail looks like his channels and suspected maybe he created another one 😂 his channel are like easter egg hunt
Wont be long before literally every channel is a Simon Whistler channel.
How many channels does this guy narrate this is like the 4th or 5th channel I see this guy talking with his accent that makes him sound all smarter than everyone
@@John-86 I think I have 8 to 10 of his channels now, he's awesome, all hail Simon 🤚🏻
@@John-86dude áre You going to cry about this in every of the comments
Simón is british get over yourself
He aint trying to sound superior to anyone
Is just how he speaks and no he is not An AI
He is very real
My minor was in Holocaust and genocide studies so I PROMISE I’m far from okay with human rights violations of any kind. However I can’t help but notice that the western nations that criticize El Salvador for their heavy handed justice system are largely countries that have low to moderate crime rates. They’re countries whose entire population hasn’t lived under decades of gang rule, fear, and death. My question to those countries is “what would your grand scheme be for handling this situation?” What better solution do we as “western civilized” nations have that shows concrete proof of working? The US justice system is a holy wreck and the countries with low crimes rates don’t have to create super max prisons. I just feel like we’re judging a small country with a government that’s just getting their feet under them for dealing with a situation we don’t have experience with. I *desperately wish* that there was a more human way to deal with thousands of people and reintegrate them into society but when you live in a crime state, an 83% success rate in convicting the right people sounds like a dream come true. I hope that with the decline in gang presence there will be an overall decline in gangs in the country as a whole and that eventually there will not be a need for places like CECOT.
That was an excellent read. A nuanced, detailed comment is always pleasant. Thanks for that
In the 80s no one went anywhere near El Salvador on a tourist ticket. Today visitors are coming back in droves. Just by watching the James Woods movie was enough.
Agreed. I just came back after spending my holidays in El Salvador. The only gangs that you see are gangs of tourists. 😊
I saw that movie a little too young. Have not watched it since but there are a couple scenes seared into my brain.
I lived and worked in El Salvador and learnt what fear is on a daily basis. I´m glad that someone had the idea of CECOT to make the country safer to live in. It´s a beautiful country like most of central America with lush vegitation. They removed all the vegetation from around CECOT to increase visibility for the security forces. Where did you get the idea of desert which you mention in the video? Maybe other countries with the same problem could learn from this example.
I did NOT expect the environmental aspect of it to be brought up....
Regarding the question about the desert, I should imagine that it is merely a poetic descriptor of the deforestation that has been performed to clear lines of sight.
I can’t be sure, but I would think that the writer is using the word in the vernacular, rather than in technical sense (as you say, it’s not a real desert as science/meteorology would define it).
Just a guess, but I think my guess feels about right. And yes, it’s certainly a beautiful land, I agree!
Contrary to popular belief this content farm doesn't always get it's facts right. How can they when they pump out so many videos?
Could have been a mistranslation. Or maybe he meant to say "man-made desert". There's any number of reasons.
@@Cjmacjhow is this an example of content farming? Because they made one mistake?
"Before we lived in fear. Not anymore."
That's all it is.
I’m sure a very large percentage of people live in fear of the government if 17% of their arrests are innocent
The fear just shifted from the gangs to a dictator 😂
@@jontaedouglas7244All things considering If the actions taken were not done, they would have fallen along the same path as Haiti. Don't forget republics are not natural forms of governments.
@@paulgoodridge2269 true enough but I’m sure if haitis president would’ve did this before being assassinated the international community most likely wouldn’t have given him the same grace they’re giving El Salvador
@@jontaedouglas7244 If I'm thinking correct, he got assassinated via Palace coup. Way before things got to the point where applying the sledgehammer would have done anything useful.
Love it, think we need a lot of these in South Africa
damn
I know a guy from El Salvador. I asked him about CECOT. His family members that live there are all for it. They said it's so much safer there now.
It's like every week you get a new channel, Fact boy
fact boy
@@zozoflagnard1 yea, that’s been his nickname for years
Nice thing about keeping them isolated is after a while you can start disappearing the worst of the worst and no one will ever know
@@Adiscretefirm third world problems require third world solutions
That's right goddamnit
Especially when Bukele won't be in charge in 4 years unless he amends the constitution. The others are again the corrupt racket that made the deal with gangs and they are not concretely affirming to continue the practice.
Don't forfeit your humanity in the search for vengeance.
@@ramseydoon8277 what I'm going to say is vengeance is not a priority at this point. El Salvador was at a point where they needed someone to speak the language all criminals speak, violence, and do so in such a fashion to reinstate the Monopoly of violence. Failure to do so would only lead to the same situation that Haiti is in.
Is it Justified? Yes. Should all prisons be like this? Yes.
All prisons should be like this? Someone in prison for white-collar crimes should have their rights removed?
In June 2024, Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced that she would build a prison with the capacity to hold 20,000 inmates based on CECOT.
His key ingredient is relentless determination.
Simon you definitely have very good information and amazing content on you tube. keep up the excellent work you and your associates do on the World Wide Web.
Damn Simon be going hard with his content creation, I clicked on this vid not expecting to hear his voice but here it is 😂
He's just the presentable face of the content farm staff
Met him in person. Very mweh exp. Not a nice guy. He does a good job at youtube and i can appreciate that so still watch it and just try to forget his real life character.
Anyone who talks that much can’t be happy.
Bukele He's a Leader ✊☝️🇸🇻
Thank you for the deeper dive on this!
I think that El Salvador will become one of the most developed countries in the region due to this effort.
Their new president is a shining example of what a good leader can do
It’s not a ‘dark secret’ - it’s something that El Salvador is very proud of, they told the world all about it and many countries are begging their governments to do exactly the same thing
This is something only simon can do
Thanks for informing ,having the best view and review (as allways) Thanks ! Simon
Now if only the United States did the same with their gangs.
RICO act is for criminal organizations, and the line between club and gang is perception and appearance, my bike club was on the road weekly going places we found on a map, we could only tour once a week because we all worked jobs, but we had patches for our vests, we might have had more than 2 bikes in a parking spot occasionally but that was the most severe crime committed as a bike club
*El Salvador is in Central America (a subregion of North America).
Also, Simon is everywhere now. I just randomly client clicked on this video and, boom, surprise! It’s Simon.
Considering here in the US where one could argue human rights are at their absolute pinnacle, innocent people are wrongfully detained and arrested regularly, this seems like a pretty solid solution.
What makes you think it’s strictly a US problem? Only reason you have accurate numbers is because everything isn’t hidden by your government. Sweden/Britain/Germany they fudge the numbers on Arab s*x crimes so people can call others islamaphobes for saying they commit any kind of crimes.
The home of the free. What percentage of the world prison population is in the US again?
The highest in the world @@t0m_mcc
How does this seem like a solid solution to the problem of innocent people getting wrongfully detained and arrested?
Bruh give it a rest
😅😅@@ramseydoon8277
Every country needs some of these. Whiners will be whiners.
Great video 👍🏽
CECOT is not a dark secret...It's a reality of things that should be. It's the gold standard in prison system.
Viva El Salvador 🇸🇻 From Guam, USA 🇺🇸
Hard Times Hard Choices
"Third rule problems require third world solutions." Forgot who said this?
The problems El Salvador was facing required a de facto dictator to take control and speak the only language gangs know violence. All things considering this is a good thing and a necessary action for the El Salvador government to take. Otherwise they end up like Haiti.
Loved this episode! Such a fascinating ethical quandary! A more aggressive approach was clearly warranted, and the thousands of lives saved must be part of any debate on the tactics employed, but it seems like the pendulum might have swung too far in El Salvador. The need to get the worst offenders off the street does not mean that due process should be thrown to the wind. If you can achieve the same or a similar result while protecting the innocent from wrongful detention, clearly that is a goal worth pursuing. They need to work much harder at making sure that detainees have actually earned their detention. It is also worth pointing out that where reform is possible, people should be afforded an opportunity for redemption. Some people can slide into a bad rut, but few are actually psychopaths, and most are basically good. If you can teach a man to treat his fellow citizens with respect, society is better off with that man in a job than in a cage. Side note: as an atheist, I would loathe having my country named "The Savior". Ew!
they do say to beware the tyranny of 'righteous' men....
I found it on Google maps. It's not far from town homes. It measures pretty much exactly 1000' x 2500' on the outer perimeter. 57 acres.
First time seeing this channel. First time commenting on how many channels Simon is on.
A measured look. Thank you, Simon.
I don’t feel much either way about Bukele but the amount of tears coming from Westerners about the “human rights” of Narco-Terrorists is laughable. Why do criminals even unrepentant career criminals must be always forgiven or treated lightly? It’s utterly absurd.
i mean, part of it *is* concern for the genuinely innocent who got swept up, and for the lack of due process in some of these trials. but yeah, i find it fairly hard to summon much sympathy for the genuinely guilty when gang activity has terrorised ordinary El Salvadoreans for so long.
It’s in the video. One in six are innocent.
no one cares about the criminals, it's the LITERAL 15 percent of the population is innocent and are being kept in such horrible conditions.
The _government_ estimates that about one in six people who get this treatment are innocent. The actual number is likely higher.
Also, once you've set a precedent like this, you cannot trust everyone who comes after Bukele to use this kind of power responsibly even if Bukele himself never fully goes off the deep end.
When Simon literally says: I'm not saying you should forgive these criminals.. Where did you get "Westerner tears about them" ? Pretty funny take which I assume you probably misunderstood or misheard. Because locking up innocents for life without due process doesn't seem like something any rational person should agree to.
Forgive me, that thumbnail juat made me burst out laughing 😂. The expression is almost cartoonish and the massive amount of face tattoos don't do him any favors 😅
face tattoos are kinda weird in any case 🤷♂
And the entire gang has them
Is what separated them as
The face tattoos
Even when considering innocent people locked up, it's still going to be far less than those that were unfairly targeted by the gangs. As in people that did not try to interact with any gang members at all, being targeted for robbery or whatever. Also, eventually the innocent should be released one day. What very unfair is gang members getting preferential treatment over innocent people that get locked up.
Considering gang members as terrorists I believe they have found a solution. Unfortunately, we need that same facility in the United States but we will never have it because criminals have more rights than victims.
The RICO act deals with criminal organizations, you cannot label US citizens based on affiliation, unless you want all clubs made illegal
Those were some killer analogies at the end there bud 😊
How many channels does Simon have?
EVERYONE!
He has so many that he's hired two more hosts to take his place
Too many
The inmates made their beds; they only have themselves to blame.
Dudee.. how many channels u got... plz list em
I'm not saying it's correct. But when a gang problem is that bad. There's bound to be some innocents caught in the cross fire. It's unavoidable
IF I was a law abiding citizen of El Salvador with no past gang affiliation I'd be overjoyed by what president Bukele has done to clean up the country.
human rights activists should have the criminals live in their neighbourhood, then talk about human rights.
Wrong.
"A society should be judged not by how it treats its outstanding citizens but by how it treats its criminals."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Fyodor Dostoevsky.
My nephew is one of those of 1 in 6 are innocent, wrong place wrong time and one lying piece of shit, as painful it is the last 2 yrs have been, it also nice to hear stories how my country has changed for the better… Now problem is, what happens when Bukele leaves in 4 yrs? Our politicians are not guarantees of keeping it going.
sure, he is a good boy, keeps to himself, helps his mother, studying to become a brain surgeon.
@@MrTexasDan hit the nail on the head lmao
Everyone's family claims the same.
Bet your nephew isn't as good as he claims.
Let the justice system straighten him out
As a prisoner at the prison I can’t confirm it’s not fun. Gotta get this phone back up my butt now
Keep it secret keep it safe
Both of these comments are gold. 😂
As a smuggled butt phone i also can’t comment on whether it’s fun or not
Not guests but "clients".
Sometimes the right thing to do is to what's necessary not what's morally correct. El Salvador saved their country as unfair and hard that sounds, life is not fair. We're not talking about criminals who commit petty theft, but gangs that had the capacity to attack neighboring countries who were effectively running the country. No war is won without casualties.
We need this in America
I hate how these videos have the least consistent audio levels ever. Go to one video, set the volume, then go to the next video from the same channel and it feels like it's 50% volume of the previous.
That and the change in volume while he's talking in each video. I can't fall asleep to these videos because if I had it loud enough to hear his quietest speaking I'd just be startled awake by the loudest parts 😂😢
Just wondering who has more? Morgan Freeman has more freckles or Simon Whistler has more channels? Lol I love you Simon
Maybe the UK should take a page from El Salvador.
Thanx Simon 🎉🎉
El Salvador is lucky to have such a great president.
Somebody had fun playing Prison Architect in real life
Titled incorrectly. Best of the best, more appropriate.
We could really do with this prison in the UK
Wait; so punishing violent criminals is cool in poor countries but in America and Europe it’s a human rights offense?
Go figure🤦♂️
I wonder if Mexico could ever give this an honest go ever again because they did try at one point and it failed massively. The cartels feel like they have way too much of a hold.
No the cartels have more power and chine on their side
1:46 How can it be "the Alcatraz of South America" if El Salvador is in Central America? (The division between North and Central technically fall somewhere in the south of Mexico, while the division between Central and South is the Darién Gap.)
It may be because of the canal but I thought south America started in Panama, but I'm not speaking from any knowledge, just what I thought
One can dislike the method and crticise it as well... But one has to admit that its apparently effective 🤷🏻♀️
i would have been more impressed with the bus fact if it was told how it is. that wall is almost as tall as 3 london double decker buses stacked on top of each other. not just 1
3:17 "...in the middle of a desert, miles from any civilian settlements." ...shows a satellite image of it in the middle of farmland, 1000 feet from a road with houses on either side. 🤣
Yeah he was off the mark on this. It was actually a forest which was deliberately removed for security and line of sight purposes.
Anytime I got on a weird UA-cam ride. This guy always shows up lol.
😂😂😂😂ikr
We need this in Jamaica asap
Families fighting for their loved ones locked at Cecot wouldn’t truly know what they were up to.Every country needs a prison like this…
Incredible episode about Elsalvador ultra secure and robust designed prison(cecot) for detained street gangsters and underground world criminals... most of these prisoners were Elsilphador migrated unskilled workers in the USA 🇺🇸. But they converted to street gangsters...US authorities deported them to Elsilphador in South America contents
I want to first say before writing this comment that I am NOT comparing directly these 2 prison camp systems in 2 different eras of time in 2 completely different parts of the world and they were built for quite the different reasons. The other camps I'm talking about are the ones that were built in Germany in 1935-1944.
There's a famous poem written by a Christian priest (I don't remember if he was catholic or protestant, but I don't think that really matters here), who first liked the policies that were changed in 1933 Germany, but ultimately he was also sent into one of those camps, I don't remember what year, but he survived throught the camps and came out alive in 1945 and he wrote a poem that has become pretty famous worlwide regarding authoritarian regimes and how their policies can become a slippery slope to put almost anyone into prison the ones in power think belong in prison for whatever reason and once you take our the court part of putting people into prison and just start throwing people into prison based on their tattoos or any other "distinctive" looks from the majority of population, it truly comes a slippery slope for a full on absolute authoritarian regime to rise and Bukelele has already jokingly said before in his Twitter bio something like "The world'd most liked dictator"...
But yea the famous priest who first supported the 1933 German "workers" party, their head figure and their policies, but once he had seen everything unfold in 1945 and he was set free from the camps:
"First they came...":
"First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist,
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist,
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist,
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew,
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me."
-Martin Niemöller in 1946, the priest who was a conservatve and first was fine and even encouraged the behaviours that were happening in 1935-1936 Germany onwards...
Imo that's one of the most powerful poems of all time and a good reminder on what Bukele's type of administration could do if they wanted.
Like I already said I AM NOT SAYING that Bukele is doing the same thing as was happening in 1930s Germany, he's doing it mostly to actual criminals who have been terrorizing and pretty much held all the power in his corrupt country for decades and he had to live throught it (Most likely having family members "gone missing" etc...), but my point is that after all the actual criminals are in prison, what Will happen then? If the courts have been taken away or they're completely under goverment rule, he could do pretty much anything he wants next and that's why I'm saying it's a slippery slope🤷🏻♂️
I am not trying to say to any El-Salvadorian on how to live their life and from what I've seen from El-Salvadorians comment on video's about Bukele's Mega-prison, he's actually brought peace to the country after decades and grandmother/grandfathers who haven't been able to come back to El-Salvdor to visit their families for decades, because it was too dangerous and no kids were playing outside in the streets, now almost everyone who was too scared to come back to El-Salvador, because of the incresibly high crime rate before Bukele's radical policies and now all those things have been possible now, because of those reforms.
I'm just trying to warn every El-Salvadorian, beware what might happen after all the "actual criminals" have been locked up, Bukele has been praised to death by his people, so it's no wonder if the power will corrupt him and his ego, like they say absolute power corrupts absolutely.
1:46 El Salvador isn't in south america lol
Just learned one of my personal biases. Thank you.
from #murrica 's perspective, everythig south of mexico is south america!
I like how it’s currently going (mostly) BUTTTTTT if this power falls in the wrong hands it could easily be one of the most horrific situations ever seen by humanity.
Whats the point of sentencing if you are going to stay in cecot forever?
Probably around about way for the government to later say “hey look! We ARE following the constitution!”
My feeling is the sentencing mechanism is when they bring out the evidence against the individual. To be arrested, I would think someone must have accused them or they were a know gang collaborator. If someone was found innocent I would expect it to occur here. Makes you wonder what evidence is enough to convict for life. Can one person’s word be enough?
The thumbnail looks like a Kick streamer. 😂
i bet you that some of them where!
.Sir, please proofread the subtitles, at times they are not accurate. Regardless, this was really helpful and empowering, thank you👏👏👏.
El Sal is Central America, yo.
🫡❤
So are they going to keep them forever? Let's revisit this in a few years.
The amount of revenue generated by the law abiding citizens and subsequent tourists, is more than enough to keep the lights on and all locked up until death. Even if it costs a billion each year (unlikely), it is worth it having true security in your country
Its the last term as per constitution for Bukele, so after 4 years, maybe all of them will be released. But he can also start assessing the innocents and perhaps have some success in getting them out. For now though the people are not in the mood of having such potential criminals out and about again. Remember this estimate is from a single police official, its far from credible, let alone reliably quantifiable in the first place.
finding a new simon whistler channel a day keeps the… doctor here to watch the video?
May all sentient beings be liberated from suffering and from the causes of suffering.🕉☮️☮️☮️
Most that are alleged "innocent" people in the prisons are infact affiliated but non initiated members of these gangs. They bring the message you need to pay or die. They collect the money for the gangs, and they identify you as a target for the gangs in the first place. They also keep tabs on your whereabouts for these deadly gangs. See,...not so innocent after all. But of course, all these family members claim their son or daughter is a perfect angel, sweet as can be. A complete innocent 😇.
Good for you El Salvador 👍
Amazing what can happen when crimes are punished.
I hope they open it up for tourism.
I understand the period of stabilization but the problem is when this becomes a permanent police state. Innocent people have no recourse and political opposition might even be scared to operate.
Funny thing is, everyone complaining is not from el Salvador😂
Life isn’t a fantasy novel, sometimes the ends really do justify the means.
This very well might be a naive question, but how could anyone turn sheets, mattresses, or a pillow into weapons?? If it's not obvious, I've never had to think about anything like that...
If you wrap them up tight enough, it's not easy but remember you've nothing but time to get it right, they become very solid especially if you hit with the end of it.
I've seen someone make a very dangerous crossbow type weapon with extremely sharp and dangerous darts using just a magazine, elastic from boxer shorts and water and that's in a British prison.
It's amazing how inventive people can be when it comes to hurting people which is part of why war is such a great way of developing the modern world unfortunately.
Side note, he was not entirely correct. They are given one bed sheet (except in solitary confinement).
i like how human rights know how to just talk when innocents are hit and just talk when the criminals are being hit too
You said literally nothing dude.
@@TheTotallyRealXiJinping if ure deaf doesn't mean people aren't saying anything
Horrible - but it had to be built I suppose....
Is the audio bad for anyone else? This video is so quiet compared to other UA-cam videos on my phone.
It's you bro!
nah it’s super quiet. earbuds, phone audio
@cwj2733 You definitely have a terrible device lol Been listening on my S24 ULTRA,and it's at half volume.
@@jeffdroog i have an iphone 12. it is quite old yes and i know the speakers are quieter because they’re wrapped in that waterproof shit, but other channels are normal volume. Projects, megaprojects, McNasty, other youtubers etc etc
@cwj2733 That seems like a personal issue then,because as I said,I've got my phone on half volume,and hearing it just fine...Could be how youtube compresses different videos,and their audio.
And when the government is fully entrenched and everyone has given up their freedoms for peace and safety, what then? Mmmmmm seen this before
Government is always fully entrenched, otherwise its not a government. As for what happens later, Russia is a prime example. Just like the Russians after the dark decades of gang violence where Putin rescued them, and thus are tremendously happy with him, El Salvadorians are happy with Bukele. The government decided to do elections this year, because they knew they will win but regardless they are a democratic country and people have made their choice.
Its always the people who matter not the external spectators who know nothing about the predicaments of these people. Perhaps if we had a virtual full body simulator, we could make a scenario where these spectators get to experience all the horrors for years on end, perhaps if they don't get mad in the process, they will be on the same level and could pass judgement.
Best thing they ever did! My spouse is from there…I’ve been there 14 times, starting in 1996, the difference is absolutely INCREDIBLE!!! the people can walk the streets again, there’s no more fear, I can walk wherever I want without being attacked (I’m a big guy, they didn’t succeed). Despite the flaws, it’s THE best thing the government ever did, and the country is now thriving! I go for a month every year, now I feel so safe, it’s just amazing! Ps - the innocent people being locked away there? WRONG! Urban legend…..they don’t arrest people for nothing, trust me (I have many family members working in law enforcement there, federal, and local, and they arrest ONLY if they have 100% proof of guilt!).
It'd be a real shame if the water supply was shutoff for say...2 weeks
Every country should have at least one prison like this!
no, most nations hold human dignity&rights as the highest goods!
If none of the prisoners are ever to be let out, why do they keep them alive?
If you are in that joint you are guilty.
Opening of this episode reminded me of an Ian Fleming novel
Imagine there is one Playstation 5 with three games.
Unless I've got deja vu I'm sure Simons done this one before on Into The Shadows.
@duncancurtis5108 yep, I was thinking the same thing. I believe it was an episode about Latin America being one of the most dangerous places on earth
It’s against human rights for good people to suffer. Those making good people suffer deserve no human rights. It’s that simple
Nayib Bukele is the only competent Palestinian leader on the planet.
(For those who don't get it, he is ethnically half Palestinian.)
SAW A DOCUMENTARY ON A DIFFERENT UA-cam CHANNEL ABOUT THIS PRISON. THE DOCUMENTARY SAID THAT THE PRISONERS ARE ALL FORCEFULLY CASTRATED ONCE THEY GET TO THIS PRISON.
IF THIS IS ACCURATE, THAT IS HORRIBLE.
Now give us the numbers of all the inocent civilians who haven't died. How many arent victims of gang violence? How many since... Tens, hundreds of thousands? Which of the 2 do Salvadorians prefer?
Because they are the only ones allowed to a say in all of this.