More than 7,000 people detained during the Emergency were executed Savior As part of the war against Gangs“, have been released, according to the Minister of Justice and Security, Gustavo Villatoro, said this Tuesday (08.22.2023).
El Salvador has been under a state of emergency that has suspended some constitutional guarantees since March 2022 and has detained more than 72,000 people the government accuses of belonging to gangs—according to figures released by official sources.
“To date, more than 7,000 of these 72,000-plus people have been freed (arrested). That means the justice system is working,” Villadoro said during an interview with a local channel.
From March 2022, the Assembly at the request of the President’s Govt Naeeb BukheleSuspending detained persons’ right to administrative immunity, infringing nature of telecommunications and extending the period of administrative detention to a maximum of 15 days.
“With more than one-and-a-half years of emergency rule, our agency wants to eradicate this phenomenon (of gangs) completely,” the official added.
Congress, with a majority in favor of the government, approved on August 9 an extension of various constitutional guarantees under the exceptional regime for another 30 days. The new extension came into effect from August 15 and will last till September 13.
Humanitarian organizations in the country have reported more than 5,000 “direct victims” of human rights violations, mainly in arbitrary detention.
Emergency rule has become the Bugel government’s main security measure to combat gangs, a legacy of the civil war (1980–1992) and bolstered by the deportation of gang members from the United States. These bands have opposed the security measures implemented by the last four administrations.
ama (efe, afp, megavision)
