El Salvador Leads in Security Perceptions, Chile and Ecuador Face Challenges

The 2024 Gallup Global Safety Report reveals that El Salvador leads Latin America in security perception, with 88% of its residents feeling safe. In contrast, Chile and Ecuador face significant declines in citizen safety perceptions, attributable to increased organized crime and violence. The data reflects a complex security landscape across the region, with improvements in some areas overshadowed by challenges in others.

Recent findings from the 2024 Gallup Global Safety Report indicate that El Salvador ranks highest in security perception within Latin America, whereas Chile and Ecuador experience notable declines in public safety feelings. The report evaluates the public’s experiences with violent crimes and their trust in law enforcement across 140 countries, illustrating that citizens in Latin America and the Caribbean experience the lowest levels of security and confidence in police compared to other regions. El Salvador’s perception of safety has transformed significantly, with 88% of its citizens feeling safe walking alone at night— a record high for the nation. The government’s stringent measures under President Nayib Bukele, including a state of emergency initiated in 2022, have resulted in a Law and Order score of 89, the highest in Latin America, surpassing countries such as the Netherlands and Germany. However, these policies have raised concerns about human rights violations. In stark contrast, the situation in Chile has deteriorated. Only 36% of Chileans report feeling safe when walking at night. This decrease has been linked to the rising influence of organized crime, reflected in the increased homicide and kidnapping rates. Ecuador faces an even graver security crisis, with only 27% of its citizens feeling secure at night— the lowest figure recorded in the region, exacerbated by drug trafficking and escalating violence in cities like Guayaquil. The latest report reflects a troubling disparity in security perceptions across Latin America, highlighting El Salvador’s notable progress while Chile and Ecuador struggle amidst growing criminal activity and declining public safety feelings.

The Gallup Global Safety Report provides an overview of citizens’ perceptions of security, focusing on violent crime experiences, general safety feelings, and trust in law enforcement. The report tracks changes in these perceptions over time, revealing troubling trends in regions like Latin America and the Caribbean, where long-standing issues such as drug trafficking and organized crime contribute significantly to public insecurity. While the region has seen slight improvements in recent years, extensive variation exists among individual countries, with some seeing marked declines in safety perception in 2024.

In conclusion, the Gallup Global Safety Report 2024 underscores the profound disparities in security perceptions across Latin America. While El Salvador exemplifies a significant improvement in public safety, prompting a rise in citizen confidence, countries like Chile and Ecuador illustrate increasing concerns over organized crime and deteriorating public safety. The contrasting situations emphasize the complexity of the region’s security landscape and the ongoing challenges faced by governments in ensuring the safety of their citizens.

Original Source: insightcrime.org