Crime now a concern across Latin America’s political spectrum

Footage of criminals storming television stations and kidnapping security officers in Ecuador shocked observers far beyond the country’s borders, with leaders from across the continent expressing support for President Daniel Noboa’s decision to declare war on the drug cartels.

One leader went further, boasting that what was happening in Ecuador proved that his much-criticized tough-on-crime approach was the right one.

It was El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, who said that the fight against drug cartels required great sacrifices, in line with recent speeches in which he argued that declaring a state of exception (as Ecuador has done in recent years) was not enough without decisive action. 

Mr. Bukele, who has gained record popularity at home by carrying out mass arrests without much concern for the rights of prisoners, also retweeted an old speech in which he took aim at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR), arguing that countries that do not crack down for fear of international sanctions are de facto siding with the criminals. 

The responses to his provocative messages showed how much these ideas resonated beyond his borders, with hundreds of internet users from across the continent — but especially from Ecuador — talking about the “dream of having a Bukele” in their own countries, hoping that his controversial security strategy would finally bring them peace. 

These dreams may be coming true, as Mr. Noboa has indicated that he will emulate Mr. Bukele on this issue, announcing the construction of new maximum security prisons to isolate criminals, and saying that “for all the Bukele lovers, these prisons...