Gift for El Salvador mudslide victims comes at steep price

By ALBERTO ARCE
Associated Press

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was one of the worst ever for Central America, wiping out homes and crops and displacing more than half a million people. In El Salvador, a populist president saw opportunity where tragedy struck. After a tropical storm in October, President Nayib Bukele moved quickly to show he could deliver to hundreds of families left in ruins with a program that surely would be appreciated by his countrymen.  But he forgot to ask the people what they needed to recover. His response was marred by politics, disrespect for the rule of law and a lack of understanding of complex problems.