San Salvador, March 2. The acting director for the Americas of the organization Human Rights Watch (HRW), Tamara Taraciuk, said on Twitter on Thursday that “behind” the transfer of “detainees” to a new prison, the government of El Salvador “hides negotiations” with gangs.
“Behind the staged transfer of detainees to a mega prison in El Salvador, the government hides negotiations with gangs, commits abuses and concentrates power,” Taraciuk published.
The acting director stressed that “rather than emulate 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 comes after revelations that indicate that the government negotiated advantages with gangs in exchange for a reduction in the homicide rate”. electoral support.
Security elements and Salvadoran authorities transferred 2,000 suspected gang members to a new prison with a capacity of some 40,000 people on the morning of February 24, according to President Bukele.
The construction of this prison took place amid criticism from the opposition, which pointed to a lack of transparency, mainly due to the approval in the Legislative Assembly, dominated by the ruling party, of a law which allowed to circumvent the usual controls in the works of the State.
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 within the framework of an exceptional regime in force since the end of March 2022 and which has been extended 10 times in terms of 30 days.
So far, authorities report the capture of more than 62,900 suspected gang members.
The Salvadoran government credits the emergency regime – set up in a so-called “war” against gangs – and its territorial control plan for dropping homicides by 57% in 2022. EFE
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