Cristosal Update

El Salvador’s State of Exception and the Work of Cristosal 

In March 2022, President Nayib Bukele introduced a national state of exception in El Salvador that suspended certain civil liberties, including due process.

“Governance that limits constitutional guarantees under states of exception is the normalized model in several areas of El Salvador and Honduras. The governments of both countries have made use of public force, including militarization, to implement security policies that guarantee political and territorial control.

The situation of violence and citizen security in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador has been one of the main challenges to human rights and democratic governance for decades in these countries. Crime rates, including homicides and femicides, are among the highest in the region. The causes of violence and its perpetrators – which include state agents – are complex, as both organized crime and gangs are structures that have become sophisticated and strengthened over time.

During the times of supposed strengthening and professionalization of the security forces in each country; these bodies have been plagued by internal corruption, insufficient training programs, and the continuation of abuses perpetrated by members of state security forces.” (Read more)

There was a downward trend in violence from 2016 and in 2019 the Bukele government formed a pact with the MS13 and Barrio 18 gangs.  However, that unravelled in 2020.  The El Salvador government passed the emergency regime which had been extended 10 times in the first year. El Faro reported that these policies are based on massive human rights violations in which thousands of innocent people remain unjustly detained in overcrowded prisons, and dozens have died in detention.  Over 60, 000 have been arrested, many without due process. 

In February 2023 a new mega-prison that can hold over 40,000 inmates was opened.  A prison of this size presents many challenges. (Read more)

The violence in El Salvador has decreased and the streets are safer.  But, the roundup of prisoners has included children, several members of family units and many of them innocent people. 

Cristosal continues to work for human rights despite this state of exception.  In the first year they documented over 139 deaths and none of the dead had been found guilty of the crime they had been charged. Testimonial reporting collected by Cristosal gives evidence of the practice of torture from the time of arrival at the prisons.

The government has failed to provide public information and denied families of loved ones who died any information about their deaths.

Investigation by Cristosal is very important in this context.

Signs of strangulation, use of electric shock, and puncture wounds on the bodies of people who died while in custody were found in cases that Cristosal has been able to investigate.  

Being forced to witness torture including guard beating prisoners to death were reported by some prisoners.

Cristosal’s Report: One year under the state of exception can be found here.

https://cristosal.org/EN/2023/08/17/report-one-year-under-the-state-of-exception/

As well as monitoring and reporting on the human rights violations associated with this state of exception legislation, Cristosal is also supporting some families who have been severely affected. 

Cristosal is continuing its work in other areas.  You can learn more at their website here: https://cristosal.org/EN/

More information about Cristosal’s work will be shared in the future.