U.S. stance on mass incarceration of innocents in El Salvador

 

#RégimenDeExcepción | 66 víctimas de personas capturadas de las comunidades del Bajo Lempa, con apoyo de @Cristosal, han denunciado al Estado salvadoreño ante la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) por violación sistemática de sus derechos humanos en el régimen. pic.twitter.com/gz7BB4mNdJ

— Revista GatoEncerrado (@GatoEncerradoSV) March 10, 2023

On March 6th, the U.S. government issued an alert to citizens planning to travel to El Salvador:

The State of Exception grants authorities power to arrest anyone suspected of gang activity and suspends several constitutional rights, including the normal protections of criminal procedure such as the right to a speedy trial. Prison conditions are harsh. Several U.S. and other foreign citizens have been detained under the State of Exception, some in a reportedly arbitrary manner. Under its Territorial Control Plan, the GOES also may, without prior warning, restrict access via checkpoints to areas suspected of gang activity. U.S. citizens are advised that access to and freedom of movement within these areas may be limited.

 

The reality of those arrested unfairly during the “state of exception” implemented a year ago has been well-documented by several outlets, like Al-jazeera, The Guardian and others.

Although the Salvadoran government has not addressed how the gang leader known as “Crook” (wanted by the U.S.) was able to escape, many Salvadoran citizens still approve this State policy because of the suffering gang violence has brought to their lives for years and because now this seems to be over. On that note, Toby Jr., leader of the baptist church «Amigos de Israel», founded by his father, recently addressed the parents of those incarcerated on video with the following words:

A los padres de familia que tienen a sus hijos detenidos hoy,
que son hijos buenos, universitarios con valores,
gente que no da problema,
mi mensaje es el siguiente:
Eso es lo que Dios necesita en este lugar hoy.
María lloró por Jesús también
Le dijeron “tiene que ir a la cruz”
“pero, ¿por qué? Es un hombre justo, es un hombre bueno”
pero a través de él, muchos vinieron al conocimiento de la luz y la verdad.
En el caso de estos padres
que pueden ser mis hijos
porque están en esta edad
pueden ser ellos en algún momento
un error,
qué sé yo,
una mala amistad,
una mala reunión
es decir, la luz que esos padres enseñaron a sus hijos
ahora bendice a cientos de personas.
Cuando esa misión haya terminado,
nuestros hijos van a estar en casa.
Yo les digo a ellos:
“Tengan paciencia, tengan paciencia.
Siempre sabemos que hay un daño colateral.
Eso no lo vamos a negar”

 

Which would be translated as:

To the parents who have their children detained today, who are good sons, university students with values, people who don’t cause problems, my message is the following: That is what God needs in this place today. Mary wept for Jesus too. They told her:

– “he has to go to the cross”
– “but why? he is a just man, he is a good man”

Through him many came to the knowledge of light and truth. In the case of these parents… of these children who could be mine, because they have similar ages. It could be them at some point… a mistake… who knows? A bad friendship, a bad meeting. The light that those parents taught their children now blesses hundreds of people. When that mission is over, our children will be home. I tell them: “Be patient, be patient. We always know there is collateral damage. We will not deny that”

 

It is worth noting that the video seems to have been made inside a prison center and not everybody is allowed to do so.

 

Asi es el abuzo de poder de la @PNCSV de Bukele @consejero01 @Univision @TelemundoNews @miCheroSV @USEmbassySV @NormaJTorres pic.twitter.com/ZGWtJILhrO

— You (@you2856) February 26, 2023

 

Under those circumstances, the U.S. is releasing a 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices. A friend from Madison, WI. describes it as a document “that does a quick summary of all the human rights abuses in El Salvador right now.  A tough read but impressive summary of reports we’ve heard about – it summarizes specific human rights abuses in just a couple sentences and this goes on for 36 pages.  You can just read the first 3 sentences under each heading and it summarizes the specific abuse there is evidence for.  The first 21 pages are more specific to Bukele’s abuses and state of exception issues, while the rest is general societal abuses”.

 

Its executive summary reads:

On March 27, the Legislative Assembly declared a state of exception in response to the dramatic rise in homicides committed by gangs over the weekend of March 25-27. Under the state of exception, which must be renewed monthly, security forces were empowered to arrest anyone suspected of belonging to a gang or providing support to gangs. In addition, the state of exception suspended the rights to be informed immediately of the reason for detention, to legal defense during initial investigations, to privacy in conversations and correspondence, and to freedom of association. Numerous reports of arbitrary arrests, invasion of homes, unfair judicial procedures, and deaths of detainees followed the declaration. More than 52,000 persons were arrested in the first six months of the state of exception, leading to allegations of overcrowding and inhuman treatment in the prisons.

Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: unlawful or arbitrary killings, forced disappearances; torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by security forces; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; serious restrictions on free expression and media, including censorship and threats to enforce criminal laws to limit expression; serious government corruption; lack of investigation and accountability for gender-based violence; significant barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health services; and crimes involving violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex individuals.

 

 

This all means all the reports are hardly new for the U.S. government, but since stopping migration still seems to be the most pressing issue at hand, the U.S. continues to support militarized repression in the region.

 

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

This is not an easy and simple situation, but we’re offering some options:

 

First. You can support CISPES’ actions.

CISPES continues to lead the call for an end to U.S. support for militarized repression in El Salvador and throughout Central America. Join a National Day of Action on March 24 – sign up today to make a call or send an email to Congress.

 

Second. You can support our fundraiser to have a bailfund.

In case that our colleagues need legal support, we want to be able to respond quickly. For that reason, we have set a fundraiser up. Any amount will be useful. We have come to learn that time is of the essence on such cases.

 

Lastly. Spread the word

Share news from the ground. It is important that people are aware of what’s happening in El Salvador, especially on rural areas, that are not a priority for international media. You can share our IG posts if that’s easier. If you have an idea to reach another demographic, a group in your community or students in your area, let us know. Such actions are important to show real solidarity. El Salvador really needs that now.

 

Header photo: Kellys Portillo