The Parliament of El Salvador, at the request of President Nayib Bukele, approved, on Sunday March 27, the establishment of a state of emergency for a period of one month, in an attempt to stem the violence of criminal gangs, accused of committing 62 murders in 24 hours.
The decree, approved by a large majority of Parliament, stipulates that "an emergency regime is declared throughout the national territory due to serious disturbances of public order by criminal groups".
It restricts freedom of assembly, the inviolability of correspondence and communications, and allows arrests without warrants.
This state of emergency "will allow our government to protect the lives of Salvadorans and confront crime head on", assured on Twitter the president of the Legislative Assembly, Ernesto Castro.
Presidente @nayibbukele:
Es medianoche, y esta @BancadaCyan está lista para aprobar una iniciativa que busca SALVAR VIDAS y luchar frontalmente contra criminales.
Estamos con usted.
Estamos con el salvadoran pueblo.
¡Our declaramos listos!
pic.twitter.com/vwMhkSzw1t
— Ernesto Castro (@ECastroES) March 27, 2022
El Salvador's police and army on Saturday launched an operation against the Mara Salvatrucha, one of the country's most dangerous gangs.
Several leaders of the gang have been arrested and are accused of being "responsible for the homicides recorded in recent hours", police said.
In response to this wave of violence, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on Saturday urged parliament - dominated by his party - to declare a state of emergency.
"Homicide Rebound"
According to the Salvadoran Constitution, a state of emergency can be established "in case of war, invasion of territory, rebellion, sedition, catastrophe, epidemic or other general calamity, or serious disruption of public order".
“Since yesterday we have seen another rebound in homicides, something we have worked so hard against. While battling offenders on the streets, we are trying to decipher what is happening and who is behind and funding all this," Nayib Bukele, who called a crisis meeting of security officials, said in a statement.
The head of state asked the prosecutor's office to treat all cases of gang members with the same "efficiency", warning that he would keep an eye on "judges who favor criminals".
The Mara Salvatrucha, Barrio 18 and other gangs living primarily on drug trafficking and extortion have a total of about 70,000 members in El Salvador, of whom more than 17,000 are incarcerated, according to authorities.
El Salvador recorded 1,140 homicides in 2021, or 18 per 100,000 people, the lowest figure since the end of the civil war in 1992.
With AFP
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