Once the murder capital of the world, El Salvador finds itself grappling with both gang violence and geopolitical shifts. Between 2013 and 2016, murder rates soared due to gang wars and systemic extortion. President Nayib Bukele, emerging from this tumult, removes the safety catches from the government and actually tackles the issue. However, all of this is ... Show More
Mar 2026
137 - Exclusive: We Toured One Of Europe’s Most Secretive Tank Factories
Once synonymous with Europe’s past wars and fading heavy industry, the tank factory has re-emerged as one of the continent’s most guarded and politically charged symbols amid rearmament, strategic anxiety, and a renewed push for deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank. In this special ... Show More
15m 26s
Mar 2026
136 - The Middle Corridor: Reality Vs. Rhetoric
Previously dismissed as a niche academic concept and a talking point for Central Asia specialists, the Middle Corridor has re-emerged as one of the most discussed trade routes in Eurasia amid war, sanctions, and growing instability across the world’s maritime chokepoints. Running ... Show More
1h 41m
Feb 2024
El Salvador Decimated Gangs. But at What Cost?
<p>El Salvador has experienced a remarkable transformation. What had once been one of the most violent countries in the world has become incredibly safe.</p><p>Natalie Kitroeff, the New York Times bureau chief for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, discusses the cost of t ... Show More
29m 7s
Aug 2023
El Salvador: The rise of the ‘world’s coolest dictator’
Not long ago, the tiny nation of El Salvador had the highest murder rate in the world. Now, it has the highest incarceration rate. President Nayib Bukele – who has described himself as “the world’s coolest dictator” – has detained 70,000 gang suspects without trial. His supporter ... Show More
28m 8s
Jun 2024
El Salvador's War on MS-13: Nayib Bukele Goes Hard
Since 2019, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has smashed the country’s two main gangs, MS-13 and Barrio 18, throwing almost 80,000 people into megaprisons and implementing a harsh but effective “state of exception,” aka martial law. Murder rates have plummeted and, for the first ... Show More
56m 47s
Feb 2024
El Salvador heads to the polls
From the BBC World Service: El Salvador’s current president, Nayib Bukele, is widely expected to be returned to power, but concerns about the economy and human rights violations under his leadership remain. Then, it may take place in a galaxy far, far away, but the trade in “Star ... Show More
9m 1s
Feb 2024
El Salvador heads to the polls
From the BBC World Service: El Salvador’s current president, Nayib Bukele, is widely expected to be returned to power, but concerns about the economy and human rights violations under his leadership remain. Then, it may take place in a galaxy far, far away, but the trade in “Star ... Show More
9m 1s
Apr 2025
Can Ecuador's next president stop the cartels?
Ecuador heads to the polls gripped by spiraling violence and political uncertainty. Once one of South America’s safest nations, it now has the highest homicide rate in the region. The presidential run-off pits Daniel Noboa, the incumbent who’s militarised the streets, against Lui ... Show More
23m 39s