El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele received a rock star welcome at a conservative rally outside Washington, where he urged people to fight unashamedly against what he called dark forces.

At the annual Conservative Political Action Conference

on

On Thursday, Bukele told people to use El Salvador as a warning. He said gangs took control of his country and society decades ago and that a fight is needed to arrest criminals and remove corrupt judges.

The next President of the United States must not only win an election, he must have the vision, the will, and the courage to do what is necessary, and above all, he must be able to identify the underlying forces that will conspire against him. Bukele said in fluent English at the National Harbor meeting: M

arylan

d., south of Washington. These dark forces are already taking over your country.

The four-day conference will also host Argentina’s new president, right-wing populist Javier Milei. He will speak on Saturday, the same day as the former president

Donald

Trump will deliver the keynote speech.

Within the growing cult of El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, Latin America’s political star

Almost two years ago, Bukele declared war on gangs. He has arrested more than 76,000 Salvadorans so far in his attempt to break the chain of violence that has plagued the country for decades. His policies have broad support and earlier this month he won re-election to a second five-year term. Many of the arrests are made with little evidence or access to due process, and human rights groups have documented widespread abuses not seen since the 1980-1992 civil war.

At one point, Bukele said in his remarks that it took 50 years, two wars, 250,000 deaths, a third of the population displaced and a near miracle to get our land back. Someone in the crowd shouted: And you!

As he left the ballroom, people cheered, shouted his name, blew horns in support and paraded a calendar with his photo as conservatives chased him through the halls to take photos and exchange a few words with the leader.

Having a smart man as president really makes a difference, said Nallely Gutirrez Gijn, who managed to take a photo with the Salvadoran leader. As an authoritarian, he is determined to put an end to corruption, but rules with an iron fist.