Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori is seeking an answer to rampant gang violence – and is traveling to visit one of Latin America's most controversial heads of state! In El Salvador, she wants to meet President Nayib Bukele and tour his notorious mega-prison, CECOT. The facility can hold up to 40,000 inmates and stands like no other building for Bukele's iron-fisted fight against criminal gangs. But can this model also make Peru safer?
Fujimori on a high-stakes mission in El Salvador
On Wednesday evening, October 28, 2026, Keiko Fujimori landed in El Salvador. The Peruvian president was received with military honors. Behind the diplomatic visit lies a highly sensitive political objective: Fujimori wants to learn firsthand how El Salvador is tackling organized crime and which measures could be considered for Peru.
The president is accompanied by a high-level delegation from several ministries. Meetings with President Nayib Bukele and other government officials are scheduled for October 29 and 30. In addition to internal security issues, cooperation in health and education as well as economic relations are on the agenda. But the greatest attention is clearly focused on the planned visit to the CECOT maximum-security prison.
40,000 prison places! The mega-prison as a model for Peru?
In the middle of El Salvador stands a prison whose dimensions have made headlines worldwide. The Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo, or CECOT for short, opened in 2023 and is designed for up to 40,000 inmates. Massive security measures, strict prison conditions, and the extensive isolation of inmates are intended to prevent criminal organizations from continuing their operations from within the prisons.
During her visit, Fujimori wants to learn about the facility's organization and security measures. Meetings with Salvadoran Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro are expected to provide additional insights into the country's strategy. It has not yet been confirmed whether the Peruvian government is actually considering building a comparable prison. However, the interest in CECOT alone shows how intensively Peru is seeking new solutions in the fight against crime.
Protection money or death threats! Peru's population lives in fear
In Peru, extortion, contract killings, and organized gang violence have reached a level that is unsettling more and more people. Shopkeepers, small business owners, and public transport workers are particularly affected. Criminal groups demand regular payments and enforce their demands with massive threats. Those who resist risk violent attacks. For many victims, fear has long since become a permanent part of their daily lives.
The consequences extend far beyond the immediate victims. Businesses are under economic pressure, jobs are at risk, and confidence in state security authorities is eroding. Northern Peru is also facing significant challenges. In regions such as Piura and Tumbes, cross-border criminal networks, smuggling, and other illegal activities are preoccupying the authorities. An effective crackdown therefore requires not only a greater police presence, but also functioning investigations and better cooperation between the relevant agencies.
Bukele's iron fist: Less violence, but serious allegations
El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has made the fight against criminal gangs the centerpiece of his policy. Since March 2022, a state of emergency has been in effect in the country, granting the police and security forces sweeping powers. Tens of thousands of people have been arrested while the government launched a massive offensive against the once-powerful gangs. According to official figures, homicides have fallen sharply. Many residents report that they can now walk through neighborhoods that were once considered dangerous.
But the hardline strategy has come at a high political and social cost. International human rights organizations criticize arbitrary arrests, restricted defense rights, and reports of abuse in prisons. Deaths in state custody also raise serious questions. While Bukele's supporters celebrate his policy as a historic success, critics warn of a permanent weakening of the rule of law. It is precisely this contradiction that makes the security model so controversial for Peru.
A mega-prison for Peru? The major hurdles
The idea of housing particularly dangerous criminals in a massive maximum-security facility could find approval in Peru. But a prison based on the Salvadoran model would not be a simple solution to the country's security problems. Peru is geographically much larger than El Salvador and struggles with different forms of organized crime. In addition to urban extortion networks, these include drug trafficking, illegal mining, and criminal activities along international borders.
Furthermore, there are structural problems in law enforcement, the judiciary, and the fight against corruption. Even a highly secure prison could not permanently dismantle criminal networks if investigations fail or if those responsible are protected through bribery. So far, Fujimori's government has neither approved the construction of a Peruvian CECOT nor the introduction of comparable emergency laws. The visit to El Salvador is primarily a political exchange of experience, the possible consequences of which can only be assessed after the meetings.
More than security: Health and education also on the agenda
In addition to the fight against crime, Fujimori wants to strengthen relations between Peru and El Salvador in other areas. The visit program includes, among other things, the Hospital Nacional Rosales and the digital health platform DoctorSV. The Peruvian delegation wants to learn about El Salvador's experience in modernizing its healthcare system and which approaches could be of interest to Peru.
Meetings on education and economic cooperation are also planned. Representatives from both countries are expected to discuss potential investments and joint projects. In doing so, Fujimori is trying to broaden the foundation of the state visit. Politically, however, the trip will be judged above all by one question: What consequences will the Peruvian government draw from its meetings with Bukele?
Peru awaits answers: How far will Fujimori go?
With her trip to El Salvador, Keiko Fujimori is sending a clear signal. The president wants to show that her government is seeking new ways to fight organized crime and is also examining controversial international models. But in the end, the people do not care about touring a spectacular prison, but rather whether extortion, violence, and the power of criminal networks can actually be pushed back.
Whether Fujimori reaches concrete agreements with Bukele or wants to adopt individual measures from his security policy remains to be seen. What is certain is that any possible change of course would also likely trigger a debate about human rights and the limits of the rule of law. The crucial question therefore is: Can Peru finally take effective action against the gangs without endangering fundamental civil liberties?
Sources
Agencia Andina, October 29, 2026; Diario Oficial El Peruano, October 28, 2026; El Comercio Perú, October 28, 2026; EFE, October 29, 2026; international human rights reports on El Salvador's security policy.
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