El Salvador transformed from the murder capital of the world with a staggering 107 murders per 100 000 people in 2015 to just 1.3 per 100 000 by 2025, a 99% drop, through a brutal crackdown on gangs that diluted civil liberties but delivered real safety and economic freedom for its citizens. As violence plummeted, investment surged from roughly 16% to 27% of GDP, growth accelerated, and real GDP per capita rose 28.5% between 2015 and 2026. Meanwhile, South Africa remains trapped with a murder rate near 40 per 100 000, an investment rate as a percentage of GDP of only 13.5%, and declining GDP per capita, as between 2015 and 2026 it declined by 6.7%.