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The government of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has received international criticism for alleged human rights violations during the state of emergency. The president made use of these powers to try to curb the violence generated by gangs in El Salvador.
The organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on Tuesday the Organization of American States (OAS), the European Union (EU) and the governments of the region to pronounce on the emergency regime adopted in El Salvador, in which Human rights violations would have occurred.
For the acting director for the Americas of Human Rights Watch, Tamara Taraciuk, “it is not possible that there is not a unanimous condemnation at a global level in the face of the barbarities we are seeing” in terms of human rights. She thus manifested it in a virtual press conference of DD organizations. H H. from El Salvador and international.
This exceptional regime “opens the door for serious human rights violations to be committed,” including against children, instead of “protecting the population,” said Taraciuk.
The HRW official expressed solidarity with the families of the “victims of violence” as well as with the national human rights organizations and with the journalists who have been accused by the Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukele, of being “partners of the gang members “.
An affirmation that generates “difficulty in carrying out work” in this territory, whose purpose is “to protect the Salvadoran population in general,” added Taraciuk.
The UN Office for Human Rights also expressed its concern in this regard. At a press conference, office spokeswoman Liz Throssell said that she understands the challenge that gang violence poses to this country, but that any decision must be handled under “international human rights law.”
This, to the extent that various non-governmental organizations in the South American country have denounced human rights violations.
Complaints of human rights violations during the state of exception
Non-governmental organizations in El Salvador have registered 34 complaints of human rights violations since the state of emergency came into force.
Abraham Abrego, from the non-governmental organization Cristosal, explained during a press conference that the cases have been dealt with by Cristosal, the Passionist Social Service (SSPAS) and the Original Blue Association.
Abrego confessed that 26 of the complaints have to do with abuse of authority and the rest with arbitrary arrests and intimidation, to the extent that most of the people affected have been victims of “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment” by agents of the police. National Civil Police (PNC) and elements of the Armed Forces.
The State of Exception in El Salvador
On March 27, El Salvador invoked a state of emergency throughout the country. The measure will be in force for a month and includes restrictions on civil liberties.
Congress suspended, at the request of Bukele and without any study or discussion, several constitutional rights, including defense during a judicial process and the inviolability of telecommunications. In addition, he ordered the expansion of the powers of the Police and the Army in the control of public order, something that allowed him to arrest some 4,000 people.
In addition, it extended the sentences for gang leaders and allowed adolescents, from the age of 12, to be tried as adults. Likewise, it toughened the confinement conditions for the more than 16,000 imprisoned gang members.
All this, after an escalation of murders that claimed the lives of more than 80 people last March. The Salvadoran executive attributes these homicides to gangs, also known as “maras.”
It is estimated that some 70,000 gang members, the majority belonging to the Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18, fight for control of extortion and drug trafficking operations.
Faced with the possibility of an “exodus” of gang members to neighboring countries, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, they reinforced their borders.
with EFE
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