The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador, with a majority supporting the government, has voted in favor of extending the emergency regime for the sixteenth time.
The regime, which suspends certain constitutional guarantees including the right to defense, will be extended for another 30 days.
The Minister of Security, Gustavo Villatoro, presented the initiative shortly before the vote.
It was approved by the ruling party Nuevas Ideas (NI) and its allies with a significant majority of 67 out of 84 deputies, without prior debate.
The approved legislative decree emphasizes the need to continue the government’s efforts to combat gangs, citing recurring criminal acts and the violent reaction from remnants of criminal structures.
Since March 2022, the Congress has suspended the right to defense for detained individuals, allowed invasions of telecommunications, and extended the maximum term of administrative detention to 15 days.
Governmental sources claim that this measure has led to the detention of 71,479 individuals accused of gang affiliation.
However, humanitarian organizations have reported over 5,000 cases of human rights violations, particularly arbitrary detentions, resulting in direct victims.
The regime’s approval follows a surge in gang-related homicides in late March 2022, where more than 80 lives were lost in a span of three days.