Tension grows between the executive branch and the legislative branch for a loan of US $ 109 million

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Nayib Bukele, president of El Salvador. / Credit: Noel Celis - Pool / Getty Images

(CNN Spanish) - The tension between the Executive Branch and the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador rose on Saturday around the hiring of a loan of US $ 109 million.

The government presented to the Assembly in November 2019 the decree for credit approval with the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI).

However, legislators have not reached an agreement and have not authorized the loan because they still have doubts about the amount and justification of some of the expenses included in the application.

• MIRA: Loan of US $ 109 million in El Salvador faces the Executive and Legislative powers

The funds are intended to finance phase III of the Territorial Control Plan, which includes resources to provide the police and the army with better tools to combat crime.

In the middle of the controversy the executive withdrew for several hours the staff that provides security to the deputies. In addition, since Saturday morning, the military protects the perimeter of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador, a decision that some deputies interpret as part of the executive's pressure measures.

President Nayib Bukele convened, through the Council of Ministers, an extraordinary session to force deputies to discuss the issue this Sunday. However, the deputies held an extraordinary plenary session on Friday afternoon and with 64 of 84 possible votes declared the call of the Executive “inadmissible” and asked the Council of Ministers to “justify” the interest.

The president of the Legislative Assembly, Mario Ponce, summoned the deputies to an ordinary session on Saturday night but only 28 of 84 parliamentarians arrived so he called an extraordinary plenary session for Monday. "I ask the president to give us time between Monday and Thursday to approve the loan," said Ponce.

The deputies of different parties that make up the Finance Commission will meet on Monday morning and hope to issue a favorable opinion that could be approved that same day.

However, President Bukele reiterated Saturday night that the deputies should arrive on Sunday at three in the afternoon by constitutional mandate "Before the convocation of the Council of Ministers."

According to the president if the deputies do not attend the extraordinary session, article 87 of the Constitution that “recognizes the right of the people to insurrection” could be applied with the purpose of restoring the altered Constitutional order and “separating transgressive officials, replacing them in a manner transitory until they are replaced ”in the manner established by the Constitution.

The high command of the Armed Forces and the National Civil Police reiterated, on Saturday night, their obedience to the president. "We are willing to defend the homeland at the expense of our own lives," said Francis Merino, Minister of Defense of El Salvador in a statement to journalists in which he did not allow questions.

Bukele also called his supporters a rally on Sunday in front of the Legislative Assembly to "witness the vote" of resources for the security plan.

According to figures from the National Civil Police, the daily average of murders dropped from 9.2 in May 2019 - the month before Bukele took possession - to 3.8 in January. The government attributes the results to the territorial control plan.

Nayib Bukele