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In the middle of this year, the political analyst Salvadoran Luis Alvarado visited Soyapango, a municipality that today lives surrounded by ten thousand soldiers. by order of the president Nayib Bukeleno one can enter or leave without being identified by the forces of order that search day and night for the members of the hosts of the Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18. “People recommended that I not go out at night, only during the day, that if they asked me for money on the street, I should give it without saying anything. There is no doubt that the place belongs to those organizations”.
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For Alvarado, Bukele’s new strategy -which consists of establishing fences in the cities, a “operation against criminals”- is their way of getting the support of the country and showing the progress in their security measures. In that context it is soyapangowhich is located 12 kilometers from San Salvador and is considered one of the poorest and most dangerous in the country, was intervened. The measure, however, has not been without question. “There is no doubt that Salvadorans are happy to see that the crime landscape is changing. But, at the same time, they recognize that achievements are achieved sacrificing human rights and the Constitution from the country”.
As recalled, in The Savior The state of emergency has been in force since March of this year and, as was to be feared, various organizations have warned of abuses committed by the Bukele government. About, Juan Pappier, acting associate director of Human Rights Watch in its Americas Divisionmaintains: “We are talking about massive arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment committed by the security forces of a government, which in the name of public security is dismantling democracy and any guarantee of the validity of human rights”.
Alvarado adds that, although in the short term the Government is “quieting the streets”, in the medium and long term, the consequences will complicate the country. “Especially when it comes to image, how we are treated diplomatically, and when it comes to global economic aid that we might not notice.”.
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deal with the devil
In May of this year, the secret agreement between Nayib Bukele and the gang MS-13. According to the portal “El Faro”, in exchange for the government not meddling in their affairs, the gangs would reduce the murders of civilians. Thus it was that the homicide figures decreased remarkably. But when the pact was broken -for a supposed “treason” of the president-, the situation overflowed again. Hence, Bukele now wants to encircle the gang strongholds.
“All that controversy was swept under the rug. But although people understand that there are agreements and a nebulous link between Bukele and the gangs, they accept them. At the end of the day, the common citizen prefers that there be corruption as long as there is security”, notes Alvarado.
The logic is simple and, at the same time, terrible: if works are carried out, if children are helped and families have a more secure life, there are no problems with shady negotiations, and the heavy hand is accepted and that DD.HH is missing. “This is a new blow against democracy. We understand that the president wants to modify the Constitution to stay in power and that he has already lined up his people in leadership positions to maintain a quasi dictatorship in the country”.
Meanwhile, the repercussions of Exception status they are palpable. The specialist concludes:If you were a gang member and you’re tattooed, they’re going to jail you without the right to trial. Similarly, NGOs cannot work with an ex-mara because they are later accused of being terrorists. This means that for trying to provide some kind of relief to dissidents, you can be arrested and imprisoned.”.
For now, the government boasts of having arrested more than 140 gang members in Soyapango and that the municipality “it’s totally from the state”. And, as collected by the BBC, “Neighborhoods that have endured years of extortion and violence at the hands of the brutal gangs MS-13 and Barrio 18 are experiencing a period of calm previously unknown”. However, in the midst of this fight, there are innocent people who suffer because the same regime does not respect their rights and sentences them to a “legal limbofrom which they cannot escape. Righteous pay for sinners.
Source: Elcomercio
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
