María Elvira Salazar U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 27th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
María Elvira Salazar U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 27th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) has joined her colleagues in the Congressional El Salvador Caucus in a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging an update to El Salvador’s Travel Advisory to “Level 1: Exercise normal precautions.” The request is based on significant improvements in safety within the country.
El Salvador, once considered one of the most dangerous countries globally, is now reportedly the safest nation in the Western Hemisphere. This transformation is attributed to President Nayib Bukele's stringent anti-crime policies, which have substantially diminished the influence of violent gangs.
“Through safety and lasting peace, prosperity for El Salvador is on the horizon. Of course, this prosperity depends in large part on the blessing of the international community, and this blessing is most powerful when coming from El Salvador’s most powerful and benevolent neighbor: the United States of America,” wrote members of the Caucus.
Currently, El Salvador’s travel advisory stands at “Level 3,” advising travelers to “reconsider travel” due to serious safety risks. However, since President Bukele's policy measures led to incarcerating over 75,000 gang members, El Salvador has been recognized as one of the safest countries in its region since 2023. The homicide rate has decreased significantly from 104 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015 to 2.4 in 2024—lower than nearly every major city in the United States. Given that many tourists consult State Department advisories before traveling, updating these publications with current data is deemed necessary by lawmakers.
As Chairwoman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a representative for thousands of Salvadoran Americans in South Florida, Congresswoman Salazar has consistently highlighted concerns about gang violence in El Salvador while praising President Bukele's efforts towards public safety. She has also called on increased engagement with El Salvador by the Biden Administration and explored potential strategies that could be adopted within the United States.
The letter was spearheaded by Caucus Chairs Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX). The full text of their letter to Secretary Blinken can be found here.
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