1. Post-war El Salvador was an oligarchy, with superficial democratic institutions that kept up the clown show. And it was a clown show 🤡 . Both of the old political parties used and cooperated with the gangs to influence elections. The poor were massively, and violently, oppressed by the criminal gangs who had direct cooperation with the country's oligarchs and made "treaties" with the governments.
Maybe that's the part that needs more media coverage, the opinions of more people with ties to the country. It's hard to know the answers to questions that never get asked. Almost none of the articles I've read about El Salvador have delved into what Bukele is moving the country away from, and how his policies might usher in a form of democracy that's closer to what one would think of democracy and away from what you described.
Whenever I see the big negative headlines it's always with North American and European outlets. EL Salvador needs more public support from journalists from within the country and those surrounding the area who benefit and are supportive of the changes.