El Salvador president pledges white-collar prison in 'war' on corruption

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele delivers a speech to mark his fourth year in office, in San Salvador, El Salvador June 1, 2023. REUTERS/Jessica Orellana

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) -El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele on Thursday pledged to build a prison to hold white-collar criminals as part of a crackdown on corruption that he likened to his fight against criminal gangs.

"Just as we fought the gangs head on with the full force of the state, we will launch a full-on war against corruption," he said during a national address to mark his fifth year of being in office. "Just as we built a prison for the terrorists, we will build one for the corrupt."