In one of the bloodiest countries in the world where the murder rate is through the roof, it’s a relief when you discover that El Salvador promotes free speech where both citizens and media do not face any censorship. They are open to speak their minds and give their opinions. Moreover, El Salvador takes personal data seriously and protects it at all costs. In other words, it should be a paradise for VPN users. The only problem, when it comes to using a server from El Salvador, is the lack of internet speed due to the poor infrastructure. However, in the past few years, this has been changing with the rapid increase in internet penetration. In 2019 alone, the average internet speed doubled compared to the year before, making El Salvador increasingly more appealing as a server location.
Although El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, with a population of approximately 6.34 million, it is the densest one. Due to natural disasters, especially earthquakes, poor infrastructure has prevented the telecom sector from developing, leading to low internet penetration in the past few years. However, the number of internet users has doubled in the past two years, and now in 2019, there are approximately 3.8 million active internet users, which represents an internet penetration of 60% (up 29% since 2017).
On top of that, internet speeds have also been improving. The speed rate was something around 2MB/s a few years ago – in 2019 you’ll get an average of 9MB/s for both download and upload speeds, which includes a recent evolution of a 50% increase from the previous year.
At the same time, there are no government restrictions regarding access to the internet, which means that VPNs, social media, VoIP, and streaming services are all legal and accessible.
Although El Salvador lacks specific regulations regarding online privacy laws, it doesn’t mean its citizens are unprotected. Article two of the constitution guarantees the right to honor, personal and family privacy, and the right to one’s own image.
In other words, privacy and data protection perfectly fit within article two, transforming it into a fundamental right incorporated into the constitution. Therefore, the constitution forbids arbitrary interference with privacy, protecting its citizens’ online data.
The Salvadoran constitution clearly conveys freedom of expression, recognized in article six, meaning that anyone is free to speak openly, and there is no censorship in place. At least, in theory.
It’s true that, by law, there is no censorship, and members of the media can speak their minds and give their opinions freely. The same goes for the typical internet users who have the right to express their judgment as they see fit.
However, even though the government does not enforce censorship, that doesn’t mean Salvadoran gangs won’t. El Salvador is one of the countries with the highest crime rates, mainly because of gang disputes, which is one of the main reasons why Salvadorans are illegally migrating to the U.S.
It’s not unheard of for journalists in El Salvador to get death threats from gang members. One example is the death threat Carlos Dada, the owner of an online newspaper, got after reporting on a gang truce in 2012. Although the International Press Institute criticized the government for not taking action, it seems that things have not improved that much since then. Due to this, although there is no enforcement to do so, the media practices self-censorship to protect themselves, especially when reporting news regarding gangs and narcotics trafficking.
Nonetheless, the typical user will find free internet where all (legal) websites are open and where you can speak your mind as you please.
When it comes to torrenting, contrary to other countries, El Salvador does not have any specific laws and the websites that offer downloadable content are open and available. The country does have intellectual property laws in place, but due to the high crime rate, most of the time these laws are not enforced.
El Salvador’s media is entirely private and dominated by a few national TV networks. The main player is Telecorporación Salvadoreña which broadcasts five of the eight available channels. The country also has several radio stations and press, which all have an online presence.
Moreover, since we are talking about a country with no censorship that defends the right to information, all of the Salvadoran media is open worldwide. This means you can watch, listen, or read any of the national press anywhere in the world without using a VPN.
With the overall improvement of the internet throughout the country and increased penetration, El Salvador is starting to offer various streaming services. Some of the ones you will be able to access through a VPN service are Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO, among other popular streaming services.
Unfortunately, not many VPN providers offer servers within El Salvador. However, we were able to find three excellent VPN services that will do the trick.
Although Le VPN has a French name boastingly meaning “The VPN”, the mother company VTNV Solutions Limited is in fact a Hong Kong based business that serves customers all around the world in French, English, Russian and Spanish. Founded in 2010, its excellent speed and service pointing beyond the usual VPN environment enters it as a contender as one of the best around. Still, with minor flaws such as website issues and suggestive marketing choices signal that though not a big one, but there is a wall to break down. Despite this, Le VPN offers a very complete service that goes beyond just providing VPN connections. Its SmartDNS asset cheers those interested in TV entertainment, and while a live chat is absent, the knowledgebase is extensive, and e-mail based customer service is fast and informative, even in technical details. Their clients and apps are easy to understand use, seeking fluidity. Le VPN supports most of today’s operating systems and mobile devices, providing applications both for iOS and Android with corresponding guides. If you decide to use the service, your connection will bear the staple AES-256 bit encryption, which is military-grade protection.
PureVPN has more than 6,000 servers worldwide with reliable, secire, and uninterrupted connections, compatibility with over 50 devices, and excellent customer service.
Prices start as low as $2.11 per month for the VPN, and those willing to pay a little more can get their hands on a password manager, file encryption, and personal privacy manager – all under the same subscription. Plus, with a 7-day free trial, 31-day money-back guarantee, add-ons, and discounts of up to 83%, it would be a mistake not to consider PureVPN as a viable option.
First of all, please do not feel intimidated: the perhaps vulgar name of the UK-based company is intended to be a pun. HMA VPN has a mascot in the form of a donkey, and thus this little wordplay is nothing to worry about. You should rather pay attention to the fact that HMA VPN is easily one of the best VPN companies today; they offer much more than a standard package. You are also welcome to try out the free web proxy, an anonymous e-mail service and an IP:Port premium service, which is essentially a more elaborate proxy product. On top of this, you also have VPN browser extensions for Chrome and Mozilla to use. HMA VPN does all this while still maintaining decent speeds and healthy prices. These are coupled with the fact that HMA VPN remains one of few providers who still enable access to Netflix. But the most impressive thing about this organization is the number of locations provided – it is unprecedented today.
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