SAN SALVADOR — El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele is facing renewed controversy following fresh claims from gang leaders alleging he struck secret deals with criminal organizations to bolster his political rise — accusations his government firmly denies.

In interviews with El Faro newspaper, Carlos Cartagena Lopez (“Charli de IVU”), a senior figure in the Barrio 18 gang, and Elmer Canales Rivera (“El Crook”), a leader of the rival MS-13 group, alleged that Bukele engaged in covert negotiations with gangs beginning in 2014, during his time as mayor of San Salvador, and continuing through his presidential campaign.

The claims have reignited political tensions in the country, especially following Cartagena’s release from custody shortly after his April 2022 detention at a police checkpoint — an event that raised eyebrows at the time.

Bukele’s administration has strongly rejected the allegations, maintaining that no deals were made with gangs and characterizing the claims as politically motivated.

Following his presidential victory, Bukele launched a sweeping anti-gang crackdown under a state of emergency declared on March 27, 2022. More than 85,000 people have been arrested since, in what the government touts as an unprecedented effort to dismantle criminal networks.

Critics and rights organizations, however, have questioned the legality and human rights implications of the mass arrests. — Agencies