El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele is using YouTubers to promote his “super mano dura” crackdown while blocking access to traditional journalists. At the heart of this strategy is the CECOT supermax prison, a symbol of his mass incarceration campaign under a state of emergency that has jailed nearly 2% of the population—often without evidence or due process.

Social media influencers are granted exclusive, tightly controlled tours of CECOT, where they film themselves marveling at the brutal conditions and presenting gang members as inhuman criminals deserving of extreme punishment. Their videos, racking up millions of views, reinforce Bukele’s narrative while diverting attention from human rights abuses, corruption, and a lack of government transparency. Experts warn that this approach not only erases the social context behind gang violence but also serves as a propaganda tool to justify authoritarian policies. Meanwhile, neighboring countries like Honduras are beginning to replicate Bukele’s model, raising concerns about its long-term impact on the region.