New Videos From Inside El Salvador's Mega Prison Go Viral!

Hundreds of barefoot inmates in white shorts sneak into El Salvador's new Mega Prison, ordered to crouch on the ground one after another. Imagine being locked in a

prison

with 40,000 other inmates, most belonging to the most violent gangs in the country in this gloomy environment, privacy, dignity and hope are luxuries you can only dream of. Welcome to the new Mega

prison

in El Salvador, the largest prison. and controversial of America a nightmare of gangs and violence February 24, 2023 hundreds of detainees were transferred to the new Mega prison of El Salvador by order of President Naib Bukel at that time the prison was officially named Terrorism Confinement Center and was intended to be the definitive solution to the crime problem in El Salvador.

President Bukele proudly posted a video on Twitter showing the massive operation with dramatic music and eye-catching editing. He zoomed in on the inmates' tattoos that reveal their affiliation with the notorious gangs that have terrorized the country for decades. He also showed aerial shots of the prison highlighting its size and security. This was his way of showing the world that he meant business with his iron fist. policy of ending crime and restoring order in the country, he also wanted to send a message to the gangs and the people in his charge and would not tolerate any challenge to his authority, but how did El Salvador end up with the largest prison in the Americas and one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, what is seen is that mass incarceration is nothing new in El Salvador, the country's prison system has always been overcrowded, violent and brutal, almost 2% of The adult population is behind bars and many of them live in inhuman conditions in La Panza, the largest prison in the country, and until last year more than 30,000 inmates were crammed into cells intended for just over 10,000, which made Life in the interior was a constant struggle for survival with scarce resources, rampant disease and frequent riots, but things got even worse when a wave of bloodshed swept the country on March 26, 2023.

El Salvador lived the day most violent since the end of the Civil War in 1992. 62 people were murdered in cold blood in different parts of the country by the end of the week. The death toll had reached 87, shocking the nation and the world. The authorities blamed the MS13 and Barrio 18, also known as the 18th Street gang, the two most powerful and dangerous gangs in El Salvador for these murders. These gangs have They have been fighting wars for territory money and power for years and have no regard for human life, they recruit the young and vulnerable, especially from poor and marginalized communities, forcing them to join their ranks and therefore in response to this violence , President Bukele declared a state of emergency that gave him the power to suspend some laws and constitutional rights in the name of Public Security, launched a massive repression against these gangs, arresting more than 75,000 people in a matter of months, used the police and the army to set up checkpoints, raided houses and searched the streets and from above used drones to spy on people for any signs of gang activity he didn't care if there were no arrest warrants lawyers for the detainees or even trials he just wanted them out off the streets and behind bars now that it happened for the first time numerous human organizations accused the police of making arrests just to meet quotas without bothering to investigate the people they were arresting, they took people out of their daily routines whether they Whether they were on the street at work or even at home, sometimes simply having a tattoo was enough to heighten their suspicions, as tattoos have long been associated as a mark of gang affiliation, Ukel would also introduce new measures to facilitating the arrest and detention of suspected gang members, would extend the period of provisional detention, meaning people can be held in custody indefinitely before being sentenced now.

Additionally, it lowered the age of criminal responsibility, meaning that children as young as 12 can be tried for alleged gang involvement. Human rights organizations claim that around 1,600 children have been arrested under this law. Now you might think that prison is the end of the These gang members say that once locked up they can't do any more harm, but they couldn't be more wrong because the truth is that prison is just another battlefield for them, a place where they can continue their bloody war even since In fact, many of the murders that occurred last year and started all of this were ordered by inmates bribing guards and smuggling phones and that is exactly why President Bukel decided to build the terrorist confinement center which, according to him, would put an end to violence and gang culture once and for all this prison is a modern fortress built in the middle of nowhere it is designed to prevent any escape any contact or communication between gang members in the outside world is a place where inmates must serve their sentence without any chance of escape or special treatment and now let's see the latest

videos

that have emerged from inside the world's most infamous prison inside the

mega

prison inside this

mega

prison, You'll find some of El Salvador's most dangerous gang members packed into huge towers of bunk cells. pieces and what look like bird cages Mr.

Bukel is proud of his Mega prison even though many human rights groups have condemned it. He believes the only way to combat crime in El Salvador is to build more of these and he has some numbers to back it up. Since the state of emergency was announced the homicide rate in the country has decreased by almost 70% but he doesn't want to tell his people just about his success, he wants to show them that's why he brought a camera crew with him. He and He entered this prison to get a rare glimpse of what life is like behind the bars of this colossal new facility.

La Fortaleza, as he walks through the main gate, President Buel is greeted by the governor of the prison, who proudly shows him the collection area now. It is where all the inmates are processed and stripped of their belongings unlike the old prisons where the gangs had access to anything from music to women, here they only had their uniforms and their cells, the governor tells the president that The prison is also designed to prevent any contact. between inmates and gangs phones and radios are blocked and mail and visitors are checked inmates have no way of knowing what is going on outside or sending messages or orders the president nods his head as he listens to the governor who knows how much this prison means to his nation for too long.

Gangs have terrorized people and corrupted the system. They have turned the prisons into their own fortress where they could plan to recruit and smuggle with impunity, but no longer, they made sure this prison was different. how being in the middle of nowhere, far from any civilization, surrounded by vast fields and mountains with no roads or buildings in sight, this place is completely self-sufficient with its own water and energy supply, so in short, It is isolated from El Salador. and the rest of the world, so the president believes that by separating gang members from their leaders and allies he hopes to weaken their influence and power and by locking them in this hell he hopes to dissuade anyone from joining or following him.

He, the hell guards, according to the governor, are the protectors who are supposed to make the people of El Salador feel safe, but imagine being a guard in the most dangerous prison in the country, a place where every inmate is a ruthless gang member. marked by ank and violence, a prison where you have to be ready for anything at any time, that is the reality of the guards in this mega prison. You can see in the video here how they prepare for their daily duty. They have full riot gear. Soldiers in a war zone have helmets, guns and many other weapons trying to protect them from any attack.

They know that these gangs are unpredictable and aggressive and that they have to be on guard at all times, so they are trained to deal with any situation and many of them have military backgrounds the prison is new and so is the equipment the government has not spared no expense to make this the safest and most modern prison in the country they want to show the gangs that they have no power here and are under total control and right now we are going to show you a rare glimpse into the world of these prison guards and how they operate.

They train to face one of the most dangerous scenarios imaginable: a prison riot for them, this is not just a drill, but it is a matter of life or death, so now here you can see them in action as they simulate a riot situation In the prison, armed with weapons and riot gear, they storm the prison ready to face any threat. They are divided into teams, each assigned. to a different cell block they know that each cell can hold at least 100 inmates, many of them violent gang members. They don't know if these inmates have weapons, but they aren't taking any chances.

They have their helmets, bulletproof vests and machine guns in their hands. The mission is to stop the riots before they spread. They know that these cells are locked, so they hope to contain the chaos within each cell, but they also know that anything can happen and that they would have to act quickly if it happened, but are they alone here? no, they have reinforcements ready at all times in the upper levels of the prison, there are more guards also armed with their weapons, they have a bird's eye view of all this and can shoot if necessary, and that's how they keep up my friends.

The prison is under control, so now we saw their security measures and how these guards keep these people in line. How about we take a look at where those hardened criminals will be kept and the conditions they will face in the inmate cells? This facility is designed for mass incarceration with four-tier bunk beds to accommodate a large number of prisoners. Now here we can see 100 metal bunk beds packed together, leaving a little space for movement. The only washing facilities are two bathrooms at the front where the guards are located. They can turn on and off at will, they also only have two bathrooms here, which adds to the depressing and unhealthy atmosphere.

Now these spaces are designed to use natural light as much as possible with two large windows on each side, artificial lighting is minimal and the facilities are quite basic and prisoners are expected to spend most of their time in their rooms. cells under the watchful eye of the guards. Now, what happens if you break the rules or pose a threat? Well, then they send you to solitary confinement directly. from your nightmare the wings a concrete block with no power or light or comfort just a concrete floor and a hole in the ground in this wing you have no access to anything that can distract you from your misery no books or music or non-visiting phone calls, you are alone, my friend, with your thoughts and the occasional glimpse of a guard through the small crack in the door.

The prison is also equipped with high-tech security systems. We have CCTV and surveillance devices everywhere monitoring the prisoners to avoid any problems, not only that but the guards also have full control of this isolation wing where they can watch feeding and handcuffing the prisoners through a metal flap at the door. Guards are trained to avoid any contact or communication with prisoners to avoid any attack or manipulation. The president's goal here is clear: dismantle gang culture. Regain control of El Salvador in isolation. The prisoners are completely isolated from each other, which is a big change from the old days where gangs ran the show.

Prisons were often covered in gang-affiliated graffiti. and the prisoners were able to have all the contraband they wanted oh no sir not here Rehabilitation or slavery now you may be wondering but what do these prisoners do to pass the time? Well, the prison has all kinds of facilities, we have canteens, exercise rooms and even pingpong tables but they are out of reach of the inmates. Those amenities are only for the guards. The prisoners on the other hand have very few reasons to leave their cells. They have two options: go to court or face that harsh punishment in those dark, windowless, lonely confinement cells you just saw, but hey, it's not all bad, there's something else these prisoners can do now that the prison is over. established special work areas where prisoners are assigned different jobs and tasks using various tools and equipment that are supposed to help thempay some of your debts to society this is not fun or rewarding you could see it as a form of modern slavery external security now that we have talked about what it looks like on the inside what about the outside well, is it just as safe or even safer, what What if someone still decides to try their luck and escape well, let's say they will face a very difficult challenge?

The first layer of security is this beautiful electrified chain fence that surrounds the entire prison, this wonderful barrier offers 15,000 volts of electricity at all times anyone who tries to climb over it will be cooked the second layer of security is the gravel covered area that is located between the fence and the prison walls the gravel is there to make noise and acts as its own audible alarm if someone does. If you manage to get over that fence and step on the gravel, the guards will hear it and respond immediately. That gravel is pretty difficult to walk and run on, so it slows down any potential EAS Escape, but let's say you're doing it and you passed these two.

We have a third layer of security with a concrete wall that encloses the prison. It is now reinforced and stands 35 feet high. It's pretty impossible to climb, but if you get there, there's an electrified fence that will stop you. It also supplies the same 15,000 volts of electricity. This wall also blocks any view of the outside world, isolating the prisoners from any hope of freedom. This fence is protected by 19 towers. Where the guards monitor everything that happens inside and outside the prison. The towers are strategically located to provide clear visibility and prevent any unauthorized movement. The fourth layer of security is the prison itself, as already We show you, it is divided into secure modules where the prisoners are locked in these cells the spaces are small and empty with only their basic needs the inmates do not have access to any Windows phone or Internet they are under constant surveillance by CCTV and prison guards too It is locked, meaning that no one can enter or leave without authorization and this leads to the fifth and final layer of security with the Army Patrol covering the entire area outside the prison.

Now, as we already mentioned, the mega prison is located in a remote and desolate place, far from any town or city which makes it really easy for the Army to conduct patrols and prevent any external threats. That Army, by the way, has about 600 soldiers and 250 members of the national civil police, all armed and in rotation, are ready to confront any attempt by gangs or any other group that tries to break into the prison or damage its infrastructure, They are also responsible for maintaining security and order in and around the prison. After everything we've learned so far, this place sounds like the perfect solution to gang violence, well, us.

I thought about it too, but wait a second, if over 75,000 people have been arrested, how are they all going to fit in this prison that was only meant to hold 4,000? Do we care about human rights? The dark side now that we have heard about this wonderful prison from the government and the president but now we have to listen from the other side, the inmates imagine being locked up in a prison where they treat you worse than an animal where you have to eat with your hands naked, sleeping on the floor and sharing a dirty bathroom with hundreds of other people where you are denied medical care even if you have a gunshot wound or a terminal illness where you are subjected to torture, abuse and violence every day this is the reality for thousands of inmates in El Salvador who have been arrested since the implementation of the state of emergency that had been condemned by international human rights organizations as cruel, humane and degrading Raquel Cabayo of the Attorney General's Office for Human Rights of El Salvador was shocked and dismayed by what who saw when he went to the prisons where the state of emergency was imposed, said that the fact that they are served food in their hands is inhumane, the overcrowding of everyone in the same cell for 24 hours is like the torture facilities of the past, one would think that everything That was a thing of the past, but once the doors open that we will see, he would continue talking about the alarming number of deaths that have occurred in prisons since the state of emergency began.

He said that many of them are due to preventable causes such as infections, diseases. or even injuries, she would share some heartbreaking stories of prisoners who were left to suffer and die in that prison, one of them had a bullet stuck in his hip but no one cared to remove it and treat that wound, others would have serious illnesses that needed urgent care. . attention but they would be ignored and abandoned according to her they were not seen as human beings but as disposable objects this would not even be the worst part the worst part was the torture the reports by Human Rights Watch and Christo Sal sokoro jiso revealed the Shocking details of how the members Prison security officers abused and tormented inmates.

Some of the survivors who spoke anonymously told how they were beaten, burned, electrocuted and starved. One of them was an ex-convict who had just been released. He told them about the cell he lived in. With 350 other inmates he said they shared a single bathroom that was always clogged and dirty. He also said that they had nothing to eat without plates, spoons or even cups, they had to use cut bottles or plastic bags or just their bare hands and what happens? The deaths, how many of them died in prisons and how they died, a government source confirmed to human rights organizations that inmates died every day and that the authorities covered it up by simply labeling them as natural deaths and disposing of the bodies.

They didn't bother to investigate or perform autopsies and when the families of the deceased came to claim them, they often found them covered in bruises, cuts and burns, so my life is very different now in every way, not only did they take half of me of my life. They took away my dreams after hearing all this about prison. Now, what do you think of the people of Salvador? I saw the heavy hand. Well, surprisingly, it turns out that many people out there agree with this. In fact, they are encouraging their president Naib Buuk, who launched a ruthless campaign against gangs since he took office, known as The Manod Duda or the Iron Fist policy, says this is the only way to end the bloodshed and tear these gangs have inflicted on his society and They have been right since then. buk came to power in 2019, homicides in El Salvador fell dramatically from 51 per 100,000 people in 2018 to 2.4 per 100,000 in 2023.

Now you may be wondering how El Salvador became one of the most violent countries in the world in first place. The answer lies in its tragic history El Salvador suffered a brutal Civil War between 1980 and 1992 that left more than 75,000 dead and hundreds of thousands displaced, many of them fled to the United States, where they faced discrimination and poverty, some of them would join Gangs like the notorious MS13 and 18th Street, which originated in Los Angeles when the United States deported him back to El Salvador, would bring their gang culture with them and also find fertile recruiting ground among war orphans and veterans with scars and would soon take control of the country.

Carving out territories and imposing their own laws Unlike gangs in Mexico and Colombia that make most of their money from drug trafficking, Salvadoran gangs rely on extortion as their main source of income. They target everyone, from young families to old ones in difficulty, even pregnant women. one is safe from their threats and violence, so it is no surprise that the people of El Salvador are tired of living in fear and paying gangs to protect them and are desperate for a solution, but the question remains whether Bull represses these gangs as a solution. to this problem or he is creating a new one, only time will tell