Fujimori tours El Salvador mega-prison as Peru weighs Bukele security model

Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori toured El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison during a visit with President Nayib Bukele, as she considers adopting elements of his security approach amid rising extortion and homicide in Peru. Fujimori praised El Salvador’s model, and officials discussed exchanging expertise on citizen security, digital security and government services; reports did not confirm a signed security pact. Her government is also considering a legal change that would classify criminal gangs as hostile groups, potentially allowing the military to fight them under war-style rules. CECOT, opened in 2023, is a centerpiece of Bukele’s crackdown on gangs, which has drawn both regional interest and criticism over mass arrests and detention practices.