El Salvador Caucus

The El Salvador Caucus' purpose is to promote strengthened relations between the United States and El Salvador.{{cite web|url=https://diario.elmundo.sv/politica/anuncian-creacion-de-caucus-de-el-salvador-en-el-congreso-de-eeuu|title=Anuncian Creación de Caucus de El Salvador en el Congreso de EEUU|trans-title=The Announce the Creation of the El Salvador Caucus in the US Congress|language=es|date=July 8, 2024|access-date=November 13, 2024|work=El Mundo}} The caucus itself describes its purpose as being to "a better understanding of issues related to the United States' relationship with El Salvador, our mutual interests and the interests of the United States". According to caucus founder and Republican congressman Matt Gaetz, the El Salvador Caucus also aims to "encourage the strong reforms that President [Nayib] Bukele has put into effect" and "vindicate the choices President Bukele has made".{{cite web|url=https://nacla.org/el-salvador-caucus-bukele-exception|title=New El Salvador Caucus Appears Set to Do Bukele's Bidding in Congress|language=en|date=September 10, 2024|access-date=November 13, 2024|work=North American Congress on Latin America}}

According to the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES), the caucus additionally serves to "boost the image of Bukele" and promote his political agenda within the United States. It further claimed that the caucus was "whitewashing" alleged human rights abuses committed by Bukele's government. Gaetz denied CISPES' description of the caucus as "baseless" and denounced the group for supposedly "ignor[ing] the anarcho-tyranny of the gangs".{{cite web|url=https://www.latintimes.com/matt-gaetz-rejects-claim-about-el-salvador-caucus-whitewashing-abuses-bukele-559692|title=Matt Gaetz Rejects Claim about El Salvador Caucus 'Whitewashing Abuses' by Bukele|language=en|date=September 18, 2024|access-date=November 13, 2024|work=The Latin Times|first1=Demian|last1=Bio}}

The El Salvador Caucus was established by Gaetz on 8 July 2024. He and Democratic congressman Vicente Gonzalez became the caucus' co-chairmen. The caucus was founded one month after they and four other U.S. congress members — representatives Adriano Espaillat, María Elvira Salazar, and Lou Correa, and Senator Mike Lee — attended Bukele's second inauguration on June 1, 2024 in San Salvador. In late July 2024, Gaetz and three other Republican members of the El Salvador Caucus visited El Salvador, met with Bukele, and toured the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a prison built by Bukele's government amidst a nationwide gang crackdown.{{cite web|url=https://www.elsalvador.com/noticias/nacional/eeuu-nayib-bukele-terrorismo-cabecillas-de-pandillas-negociacion-con-las/1156850/2024/|title=Congresista Estadounidense Matt Gaetz Conoció el CECOT en Su Visita a El Salvador|trans-title=American Congressman Matt Gaetz Visited CECOT in His Visit to El Salvador|language=es|date=July 21, 2024|access-date=July 21, 2024|work=El Diario de Hoy|first1=Jessica|last1=García}}

On August 6, 2024, the caucus sent a letter to Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, requesting that the United States Department of State reduces its travel advisory's status on El Salvador citing a decrease in crime during Bukele's presidency. The State Department did decrease its travel advisory status for El Salvador from Level 3 to Level 2 on November 8, 2024.{{cite web|url=https://sv.usembassy.gov/updated-to-reflect-a-shift-to-level-2-due-to-changes-in-crime/|title=Updates to Reflect a Shift to Level 2 Due to Changes in Crime|language=en|date=November 8, 2024|access-date=November 13, 2024|work=United States Department of State}}

After President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Gaetz as his attorney general and Gaetz's subsequent resignation from the United States Congress,{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/11/13/matt-gaetz-ethics-investigation-resign/|title=Gaetz resigned days before ethics investigation report expected|language=en|date=November 13, 2024|access-date=November 13, 2024|newspaper=Washington Post|first1=Marianna|last1=Sotomayor|first2=Jacqueline|last2=Alemany|first3=Marianne|last3=LeVine}} Republican congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna succeeded Gaetz as the caucus' Republican co-chair.{{cite web|url=https://diario.elmundo.sv/politica/congresista-democrata-de-eeuu-sugiere-exportar-modelo-de-el-salvador-a-todo-el-mundo|title=Congresista Demócrata de EE.UU. Sugiere "Exportar" Modelo de El Salvador "a Todo el Mundo"|trans-title=US Democratic Congressman Wants to "Export" the El Salvador Model "to the Whole World"|language=es|date=20 November 2024|access-date=20 November 2024|work=El Mundo|first1=Yolanda|last1=Magaña}}

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The following 16 United States representatives are members of the El Salvador Caucus:{{cite web|url=https://gaetz.house.gov/ElSalvadorCaucus|title=U.S. Congressional El Salvador Caucus|language=en|access-date=November 13, 2024|work=Matt Gaetz House.gov|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241106200454/https://gaetz.house.gov/ElSalvadorCaucus|url-status=live|archive-date=November 6, 2024}}

• Andy Biggs (R, AZ-5)
• Dan Bishop (R, NC-8)
• Lauren Boebert (R, CO-3)
• Tim Burchett (R, TN-2)
• Lou Correa (D, CA-46)
• Eli Crane (R, AZ-2)
• Vicente Gonzalez (D, TX-34), co-chair
• Anna Paulina Luna (R, FL-13), co-chair
• Nancy Mace (R, SC-1)
• Cory Mills (R, FL-7)
• Alex Mooney (R, WV-2)
• Barry Moore (R, AL-2)
• Ralph Norman (R, SC-5)
• Andy Ogles (R, TN-5)
• Scott Perry (R, PA-10)
• María Elvira Salazar (R, FL-27)

• Matt Gaetz (R, FL-1), former co-chair, resigned from the United States Congress on November 13, 2024

• Caucuses of the United States Congress

{{reflist}}

• [https://gaetz.house.gov/ElSalvadorCaucus Official website]

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Category:2024 establishments in Washington, D.C.

Category:Caucuses of the United States Congress

Category:El Salvador–United States relations

Category:Organizations established in 2024