Bukele announces that it will sue the Legislative Assembly and the Constitutional Chamber before the IACHR

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El Salvador tightens quarantine measures 3:21

(CNN Spanish) -  The President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele announced this Wednesday that he will file a lawsuit before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) against the Legislative Assembly and the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice for “violating the right to health and life for the Salvadoran people ”during the emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Deputy Margarita Escobar, from the opposition Nationalist Republican Alliance, the claim before the IACHR does not proceed because the inter-American system "protects citizen rights, does not protect governments."

The president's announcement comes after the Constitutional Chamber suspended on Monday an executive decree that extended the National Emergency Law, quarantine and measures that restrict mobility until June 6. "The only way to prevent the virus is to stay home," Bukele said.

In response to the judicial decision, the Executive issued a new decree on Tuesday that, according to Bukele, declares the entire country an epidemiological zone and maintains the national emergency and the provisions to reduce the number of people on the streets until June 6. "That decree has not yet been suspended and hopefully they will not," Bukele said at a press conference.

This Wednesday, representatives of the opposition ARENA party filed an appeal before the Constitutional Chamber to order the suspension of the new executive decree.

On the other hand, at least 26 civil organizations sent a letter to Luis Almagro, secretary general of the Organization of American States in which they ask for the activation of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, whose article 18 allows the agency to make visits to analyze the situation in the country. and it could also study the crisis in the Permanent Council.

"It is absurd," was the reaction of the Salvadoran president. "We try to find a solution to deal with this emergency," he insisted.

Bukele reiterated that he will veto the Law approved Monday by the deputies, which contemplates opening the economy in four phases in four months. He considers it unconstitutional: “It is the most absurd decree I have ever seen. I'm not going to sign that death law, ”said Bukele.

The executive assured that this Thursday he will present his proposal to the Assembly for the deputies to enact a National Emergency Law that includes a strict quarantine of 15 days and then begin to open the economy gradually and with protective measures for workers.