Get tough on gangs, crime now

THE EDITOR: Isn’t it heart-warming when a tourist lands in our crime-ridden paradise, steps off the plane, and says, "Wow, I feel so safe!" Meanwhile, the locals are busy installing five locks, steel bars, cameras, and maybe even hiring a priest for daily house blessings. But hey, if a tourist feels safe for 48 hours, clearly crime must be under control, right?

Government officials love this little illusion. It’s the perfect excuse to do absolutely nothing while crime flourishes like a well-watered garden. After all, why tackle gangs and criminals when you can just post a smiling photo of a foreigner and call it "progress?"

Reality check: crime is out of control. Citizens? Oh, they’re just collateral damage in the grand photo op. Protecting people isn’t nearly as exciting as cutting ribbons or hosting crime conferences where the only thing getting killed is time.

And please, don’t say it’s impossible. El Salvador literally bulldozed through its gang problem. It wasn’t magic; it was willpower. Tough decisions. Leadership. But here? We have all the resources, all the money, all the intelligence – and zero willpower. Because tackling real crime might mean upsetting the wrong people.

So, let’s all keep pretending everything’s fine. Maybe if we close our eyes tight enough the criminals will politely go away. After all, the tourist said they felt safe, and that’s all that matters.

SIMON WRIGHT

Chaguanas