El Salvador Congress extends state of exception to fight gang

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El Salvador Congress extends state of exception to fight gang

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — With 50,000 people locked up for alleged gang ties since March, El Salvador s congress has approved a month-long extension of the state of exception that suspends some fundamental rights in the name of combatting the country's powerful gangs.

The measure is widely popular despite the criticism of civil rights organizations in and outside El Salvador. Those groups and relatives of detained say they have been arrested without evidence or due process, and jailed for months as they await trial.

Before the congressional vote late Tuesday, a number of protesters gathered outside the Legislative Assembly calling for an end to the state of exception.

President Nayib Bukele requested extraordinary powers after gangs were blamed for 62 killings on March 26.

Under the state of exceptions, the right of association, the right to be informed of the reason for an arrest and access to a lawyer are suspended. The government can intervene in the calls and mail of anyone they consider to be a suspect. The time a person can be held without charges is extended from three days to 15 days.

The current period was set to end on August 20.

Those arrested usually make initial appearances en masse before a judge, where prosecutors accuse them of belonging to or associating with gangs. Evidence is usually not presented. Judges have been automatic in ordering them held for six months pending trial, giving prosecutors time to build cases.

The measures are finally allowing the country to deal with its terrorists, according to Bukele and his cabinet. The president has shifted from tweeting the number of arrests each day to heralding the days with no murders. The gangs, estimated to have some 70,000 members in their ranks, have terrorized El Salvador. They controlled swaths of territory and extorted and killed with impunity.

Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro said that the extension request was presented to lawmakers Wednesday. We have witnessed how Salvadorans were able to enjoy the safest vacations in history, referring to recent national holidays.

The proposal received the support of 66 of the 84 lawmakers of the body.

When police hauled him away without explanation, 25-year-old Virginia Guadalupe Solano L pez said her husband, Jos Alfredo Vega, had been relaxing in their home with their daughter on March 27 in Jiquilisco in eastern El Salvador. She has not seen him since.

He is not a criminal, he doesn't have a record, he is not stained, she said. They took him because someone accused him of being with the gangs. The Alliance for Peace movement has received 500 complaints about arbitrary arrests and opened an office for legal counseling. Apolonio Tobar, El Salvadoran human rights ombudsman, said his office had 28 open investigations into deaths of people who died while in custody under the state of exception.

In general, Salvadorans have been relieved by the peace in the streets.

An association of bus companies said that gang extortion of their members has decreased 95%. They said in a statement that it was a respite.