The NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) denounced Wednesday that El Salvador’s security forces are committing widespread human rights abuses since the adoption of a state of emergency against gang violence in March of this year.
A report released Wednesday with Salvadoran human rights organization Cristosal documents mass arbitrary detentions and torture, as well as deaths in custody or forced disappearances.
«Salvadoran security forces have brutalized vulnerable communities with widespread human rights violations in the name of public security,» lamented Juanita Goebertus, HRW’s Americas director.
«To put an end to gang violence and human rights violations, the government of El Salvador must replace the state of emergency with an effective, rights-respecting security policy that gives Salvadorans the security they so richly deserve,» added the NGO’s regional director.
They also criticized the fact that the country’s president, Nayib Bukele, has publicly supported the security forces, promoting «a dehumanizing rhetoric against detainees and their families».
They have also pointed out that there are reasons to question the effectiveness of these measures, as gangs have in the past benefited from mass incarceration to recruit new members.
HRW and Cristosal have interviewed more than 1,100 people, including victims of abuse, family members, lawyers, witnesses and government officials.
With this documentation, the organizations have found that agents have committed similar violations repeatedly in different parts of the country.
In many cases, detentions appear to be based on the appearance and social background of the detainees, sometimes without warrants or arrest warrants.
In addition, the NGO accuses El Salvador’s authorities of committing enforced disappearances under international law, as they have reported numerous cases in which agents have refused to provide information on the whereabouts of detainees.
SUPERPOBLATION IN JAILS Police and soldiers have carried out hundreds of raids, particularly in low-income neighborhoods, since the state of emergency was adopted. Authorities have arrested more than 58,000 people, of whom more than 1,600 have been children.
Thus, the prison population has increased in nine months from 39,000 to 95,000 people, more than three times the official capacity, criticize human rights organizations.
In this context, at least 90 people have died in police custody in circumstances that have not yet been investigated.
INTERNATIONAL CALL Therefore, HRW and Cristasol have urged the country’s authorities to take rights-respecting measures to dismantle the gangs and protect the population.
Along these lines, the organizations have called on the United States and the European Union, as well as Latin American governments, to generate multilateral pressure.
«The international community must redouble its efforts to help ensure that Salvadorans are safe from gang atrocity crimes, human rights violations by security forces and other abuses of power,» added Goebertus.
Beyond this, they have asked financial institutions to suspend loans that benefit government agencies involved in these abuses, such as the National Police, the Armed Forces, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the prison system.
