The United States denounces the “criminalization” and “censorship” of the press in El Salvador

Secretary of State for USAAntony Blinken, expressed this Sunday his concern about the reform of the Penal Code approved this week in The Saviorand denounced that it opens the door to the “criminalization” and “censorship” of journalism in the country.

It’s a statement, Blinken reacted to the reform approved last Tuesday by the Legislative Assembly, which dictates sentences of 10 to 15 years in prison for “any type of written statement that alludes to the different criminal terrorist groups or associations of maras or gangs.”

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The US Foreign Minister assured that said amendment “criminalizes journalism on certain gang activities” and “gives rise to attempts to censor the media and prevent information on corruption and other matters of public interest.”

“Journalists should be free to do their jobs without fear of violence, threats or unjust arrests,” said Blinken, who also expressed fear that the reform would be used to “silence critics of the Salvadoran government.”

The head of US diplomacy was concerned about the “rebound in violence committed by the MS-13 and Barrio 18 gangs in El Salvador” at the end of March, which led the National Assembly to impose an exceptional regime in the country.

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That wave of murders claimed the lives of more than 80 people and placed March 26 as the bloodiest day in the recent history of the Central American country.

“We urge El Salvador to address this threat while protecting civil liberties, including freedom of the press, due process, and freedom of expression,” Blinken stressed.

As a consequence of the emergency regime, adopted at the request of President Nayib Bukele, several constitutional rights have been suspended, including defense during a judicial process and the inviolability of telecommunications for Salvadorans.

The United States hopes that El Salvador “rescinds this state of exception as soon as the situation allows,” and is particularly concerned about respect for the human rights of detained persons, a spokesman for the National Security Council of El Salvador assured Efe last Wednesday. the White House.

In his statement, Blinken stressed that Salvadoran gangs also threaten the “national security” of the United States and concluded: “Now more than ever, it is essential to extradite gang leaders so that they face justice in the United States.”

The Vice President of El Salvador, Félix Ulloa, denied on Friday in an interview with the US network Voice of America that a reform of the Criminal Code is a censorship of the press, and argued that what he seeks is to combat the “promotion and apology of crime ”.

The gangs, a phenomenon considered to be a legacy of the Salvadoran civil war (1980-1992) and which was strengthened by the deportation of gang members from the United States, have resisted the security plans implemented in the last four administrations and generated spikes in violence through through the years.

Source: Elcomercio

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