Crime and violence They are two scourges that pose serious challenges to the governments of Latin America in its purpose to build solid democracies and effective citizen security policies.
(Read here: America speaks: United to inform ourselves better)
That was the main focus of the forum. ‘America speaks: United to inform ourselves better’ what he did this Wednesday TIME in San Salvador in alliance with The printing pressof The Saviortwo newspapers that belong to the American Newspaper Group (GDA). There, the security situation in the region was analyzed, with special emphasis on that Central American country.
“Violence in Latin America represents a widespread concern for governments. One third of all homicides in the world occur in this region“said Ernesto Cortés, General Editor of EL TIEMPO, and who moderated the first panel called: ‘Strategies to confront violence: what happens in El Salvador’.
Violence in Latin America represents a widespread concern for governments. One third of all homicides in the world occur in this region
In that sense, and taking advantage of the venue, the forum delved into How effective has the strategy been? implemented since March 2022 by the Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukelein its purpose of fighting against the gangs that led that country to be one of the most violent in the world, when the homicide figures reached 100 per 100,000 inhabitants during 2015.
To do this, Cortés spoke with Ignacio Cano, researcher at the Institute of Social Research of the National Autonomous University of Mexico; the Salvadoran lawyer Tahnya Pastor; the researcher and academic Carlos Carcach; and the head of La Prensa Gráfica, Edwin Segura. The four experts analyzed the strategy of the emergency regime that Bukele has applied in the country for 19 months. -and which has led to the arrest of 73,800 alleged gang members-.
How effective is the ‘iron fist’ policy against crime?
On the one hand, analysts agreed that although the “iron fist” has shown certain results, this raises concerns about human rights. In the Salvadoran case, the emergency regime allows arrests without court orders, so there is no “presumption of innocence”. By the way, Cano said that since this presumption does not exist “the rule of law is being put to an end” and democracy is “stifled.”
The analyst also warns that “all ‘iron fist’ policies end up strengthening criminal structures” and tend to provoke resentment “in the most popular classes.”
“There is a mistake in the concept of a strong hand. What is needed is an efficient hand. We do not know for sure how many of the 70,000 detainees are innocent because there is no due process. This generates resentment in popular communities and could end up turning against society.”says Cano.
We do not know for sure how many of the 70,000 detainees are innocent because there is no due process
However, lawyer Pastor assures that the new measures implemented in the country have empowered citizens and have put the focus on the victims. “The so-called Bukele model is not written, it is still being adjusted and we should not demonize it for the shortcomings we have had. It must be improved, especially in the area of Human Rights”, he adds.
The jurist also highlighted that Salvadorans, after intense years of violence, are now experiencing a period of calm. “The victims are going to say they are happy with the result,” she says.
For his part, Segura recognizes that the population “is satisfied with the results of the emergency regime,” but that the negative remains that many captured are people who “have nothing to do with it.” “People were subjected to the violent authoritarianism of the gangs. Now they are willing to accept that they will be under the authoritarianism of the State,” he adds.Even different university surveys establish that on average 9 out of 10 Salvadorans feel safe with the exception regime.
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How sustainable is the ‘Bukelista model’ in the long term?
In any case, the panel highlighted the importance of focusing on the victims and providing them justice. In addition, it was recognized that there is a challenge in achieving between the guarantee of human rights and the fight against crime, and the improvement of criminal investigation and the obtaining of solid evidence was urged.
The experts called for rethinking the current approach and considering more effective and sustainable solutions. The central point is that the current “iron fist” model risks undermining democratic principles and creating long-term problems.
Carcach warns that, although many governments in the region want to imitate the “Bukelista model,” violence and crime tend to be a cyclical process that tends to decrease and increase over time. The academic even believes that after a period, the spaces left by the members of the gangs after the last captures will once again be occupied by others in the future.
In fact, The four experts agreed that homicide rates began to decline in El Salvador even before the emergency regime.
“The reduction in homicides has not been immediately after or directly linked to the emergency regime. There was a reduction between 2015 and 2018, when it was reduced by half and then by a third between 2018 and 2021. Until reaching the figure of nine homicides per 100,000 inhabitants last year,” Segura said.
In that sense, for this to be sustained over time, other comprehensive policies are needed to attack the structural causes that lead to violence, such as social inequality and lack of state presence.
How to achieve it? For Cano there are two priorities: improve criminal investigation to have conclusive evidence and prosecute those who are criminals, and the second, social reintegration programs so that those who serve their sentences have effective mechanisms to reintegrate into life.
INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL
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