HRW points out that the Government of El Salvador “hides negotiations” with gangs

San Salvador, March 2. The interim director for the Americas of the Human Rights Watch (HRW) organization, Tamara Taraciuk, said Thursday on Twitter that “behind” the transfer of “detainees” to a new prison, the Government of El Salvador “hides negotiations” with gangs .

“Behind the staging of the transfer of detainees to a mega prison in El Salvador, the Government hides negotiations with gangs, commits abuses and concentrates power,” published Taraciuk.

The interim director pointed out that “rather than imitating the model, the region must worry about its consequences.”

For its part, HRW published on the same social network that “the transfer of thousands of people to a new mega prison in El Salvador occurs after revelations that indicate that the government negotiated benefits with gangs in exchange for lowering the homicide rate.” and get electoral support.

Security elements and authorities from El Salvador transferred 2,000 alleged gang members to a new prison that has a capacity for some 40,000 people on the morning of February 24, according to President Bukele.

The construction of this prison occurred amid criticism from the opposition, which has pointed out a lack of transparency, mainly due to the approval in the Legislative Assembly, dominated by the ruling party, of a law that allowed bypassing the usual controls in state works.

At the beginning of February, Amnesty International (AI) expressed its concern about this new prison in El Salvador, expressing its “deep concern” given that “the construction of this new prison could mean the continuity and escalation of these abuses.”

The construction of the prison complex also took place in the context of an exception regime in force since the end of March 2022 and which has been extended 10 times in terms of 30 days.

So far, the authorities report the capture of more than 62,900 suspected gang members.

The Salvadoran government attributes the emergency regime -implemented in a so-called “war” against gangs- and its Territorial Control plan for the drop in homicides by 57% in 2022. EFE

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