Use of medical and military metaphors to legitimizethe security model in El Salvador

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15517/gg0kax49

Keywords:

El Salvador, discourse, politics, security, political regime

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the metaphors that President Nayib Bukele employs to legitimize his security policies (2022-2025). Based on the president’s speeches, statements, and social media posts, the study analyzes his use of conceptual metaphors related to gangs, the state of emergency, and other security policies. The most prominent metaphors in the analysis are actions against  gangs as a war and gangs are a cancer; both used as tools  of legitimization and persuasion. 

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Author Biography

  • Eduardo Torre Cantalapiedra, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Ciudad de México, México.

    Mexican. PhD in Population Studies from El Colegio de México. Master's degree in International Economic Relations and  Cooperation from the University of  Guadalajara (UdeG). He holds bachelor's  degrees in Law, Business Administration,  and Political Science and Public Administration from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). He is currently a Researcher at the SECIHTI-El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (El Colef). He is a member of the National System of Researchers, Level II. He is the principal investigator on the project: “New Perspectives in the Study of Vulnerable Migrant Populations and Migration Governance in Mexico.” He has published 60 articles in prestigious peer-reviewed and indexed journals such as International Migration Review, Migration Studies, International Migration, Forced Migration Review, Migraciones, Migración y Desarrollo, Huellas de la Migración, and Migraciones Internacionales. Among her latest publications, the book Migrant Camp (2023) stands out. Her areas of interest are: international migration, migration policy, refugee status, and migration patterns.

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Published

2026-05-29

Issue

No. 191 (2026): Presentation. Governing Discourses: Fear, “Security” and Symbolic Power (January-March, 2026)

Section

Central Theme

License

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How to Cite

Use of medical and military metaphors to legitimizethe security model in El Salvador. (2026). Revista De Ciencias Sociales, 191, 13-28. https://doi.org/10.15517/gg0kax49