Latin America Urgently Needs an Alternative to Bukele's Security Plans

August 7, 2023 3:13PM EDT
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Published in:
El País

Juan Pappier
Acting Deputy Director, Americas
@JuanPappierHRW

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele is highly undemocratic, highly abusive—and highly popular.

With worrying levels of crime and insecurity in Latin America, his security model threatens democratic institutions in the region. Responding to these challenges requires effective and rights-respecting measures to confront violence and crime.

Recently, Bukele’s allies in the Legislative Assembly passed a law that allows mass trials. Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro said that up to 900 people could be prosecuted at the same time. Under new legislation, prosecutors will not be required to present individual evidence against alleged gang members, lawmakers said. These Kafkaesque trials would undermine access to justice for victims of gang violence, hinder the release of innocent people, and violate due process guarantees.

Security forces have arrested over 71,000 people, including more than 1,600 children, under a state of emergency that has suspended basic rights for almost a year and a half. Many Salvadorans with no connections to gangs have been arrested, especially in low-income neighborhoods. Our research shows that some people detained have been tortured, dozens have died in custody, and thousands have been subjected to inhumane conditions in detention, including extreme overcrowding. Most are held incommunicado.

More:
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/08/07/latin-america-urgently-needs-alternative-bukeles-security-plans