After the violent riots in France this weekend, a noted statement comes from El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele, who has gained international recognition for his tough campaign against organized crime. According to Bukele, France could restore order in just a week. He emphasizes that El Salvador managed to get a grip on what he claims was a hundred times more serious problem in a single year, and did so with far fewer resources than what France has at its disposal.

The widespread violence in France, where shops have been looted, vehicles set on fire, and entire neighborhoods ravaged, has sparked reactions far beyond the country’s borders.

One of those commenting on the situation is El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele, whose tough methods against gang crime have made him a much-discussed political figure.

In a social media post, Bukele rejects the notion that it’s too late to change course in France. On the contrary, he argues that the country still has all the means to reestablish order.

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“I’ve heard it said that France is lost, and that it’s too late to save the country. But France is still as beautiful, even enviable. Its greatness hasn’t disappeared—it’s just waiting to be reborn,” Bukele wrote on X.

“Could do it in a week”

El Salvador’s popular president goes further, comparing the situation in France to the extensive gang crime that for a long time characterized his own country. Previously one of the world’s most violent nations, El Salvador, under Bukele’s rule, has undertaken a major offensive against criminal organizations.

READ ALSO: El Salvador’s method for crushing gangs criticized in Sweden

According to the president, the experiences from his homeland show that even very extensive violence can be quickly addressed, provided there is political will.

“We overcame in just a year a problem that was a hundred times more serious, without having access to the resources France has. France could manage it in a week,” he wrote.

Bukele has previously received international attention for his fight against criminal gangs in El Salvador. Tens of thousands of suspected gang members have been detained, and new high-security prisons have been constructed to keep criminals locked up.

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His successful policies have also been criticized by human rights organizations, who have pointed to arbitrary arrests and lack of legal safeguards. Bukele’s supporters, on the other hand, highlight the sharp decline in violent crime and argue that residents can once again move about in areas previously controlled by gangs.

It is against this background that the president now claims France, with its considerably greater economic and institutional resources, could regain control of the situation in a very short time.

Trump: “Close Your Borders”

The US President Donald Trump has also responded strongly to the violence in France. Unlike Bukele, Trump mainly focuses on immigration, which he claims is at the root of France’s problems. In images and videos from the scenes of unrest, many participants appear to have immigrant backgrounds.

READ ALSO: Chaos in Multicultural France – town halls stormed and shops looted

In a post on his platform Truth Social, the American president writes:

“France is burning! The immigration of people from a completely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has destroyed this once-great country. Close your borders and take control before it is too late!”

Widespread Destruction

According to international media reports, around 1,500 businesses have suffered damage and about 1,800 people have been arrested in connection with the unrest.

READ ALSO: Sweden compared with violent El Salvador

In Paris, residents awoke Sunday morning to burnt-out vehicles, smashed shop windows, and large amounts of debris littering the streets. Cities like Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, and Strasbourg have also seen masked youths engaging in widespread looting and violent riots.