At least 3,000 people detained under the emergency regime set up by the Salvadoran government to fight organized crime have been released, President Nayib Bukele announced on Tuesday 17 January.
These detainees have been cleared, the president said at a public event in the town of Mejicanos, on the outskirts of the capital San Salvador.
"There are 58,000 people
(still)
in prison
," he said, assuring that actions against gangs have enabled the country to improve its security.
"If there are innocent people, they will be released
(from prison) (...)
if there is not enough evidence
," said the Salvadoran president.
A “war” against gangs
At the end of March, El Salvador launched a
“war”
against the gangs that are rampant in the country, establishing at the same time an exceptional regime allowing it, in particular, arrests without a warrant.
This offensive resulted in the arrest of just over 61,000 suspected gang members.
Most are suspected of belonging to the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18 organizations. This exceptional measure is questioned by various humanitarian organizations, which fear human rights violations.
In early January, Justice and Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro reported that El Salvador had recorded a homicide rate of 7.8 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022, the lowest rate under the Bukele administration. came to power in June 2019. For comparison, the homicide rate was 18.1 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2021, according to the Salvadoran government.