The government of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele asked Congress to approve a seventh extension of the state of emergency to continue fighting the gangs, despite criticism from human rights organizations that have denounced arbitrary arrests and violations to due process during the application of that regime.
“This is nothing more than capturing the needs or the requirement that millions of Salvadorans make of us,” said Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro, justifying the new extension.
He stressed that the measure has allowed the capture of more than 55,000 gang members, as well as weapons, vehicles, drugs, cell phones and 1.2 million dollars.
After 62 homicides were reported on March 26, a level of crime that had not been seen in El Salvador in a long time, Congress approved the state of exception that limits freedom of association, suspends the right of a person to be duly informed of their rights and reasons for arrest, as well as the assistance of a lawyer.
In addition, it extends the term of preventive detention from 72 hours to 15 days and allows the authorities to seize the correspondence and cell phones of those they consider suspicious.
The regime was extended for the last time on September 14, expiring on October 18, and the authorities announced that they will continue to request further extensions until the last of the gang members is removed from the streets.
Nevertheless, human rights organizations have repeatedly denounced irregularities. The NGO Cristosal reported that in six months of the emergency regime, they registered 2,775 complaints of arbitrary detentions and 80 deaths while in state custody. Cristosal also warned that the penal reforms promoted by the government seek a permanent exception regime.
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