President Nayib Bukele has reported on a new operation in his fight against gangs in El Salvador. The strategy involves the deployment of 7,000 soldiers and 1,000 police, who will surround the entire department of Cabañas, located in the center of the country.
The main objective of this measure is to prevent gang members from escaping the department and cut the supply lines of terrorist groups, according to the president communicated on the social network X, formerly known as Twitter.
More than 70,000 suspected members of criminal gangs have been arrested since March 2022, when a state of emergency was declared due to an increase in homicides linked to Salvadoran gangs.
The challenge of catching all criminals
The military encirclement covers more than 1,100 km² of the Cabañas region, home to more than 160,000 people. President Bukele has stated that the siege will not be lifted until all criminals are caught.
The Minister of Defense, René Merino Monroy, stressed that the specific objective of this operation is to apprehend the remnants of the Cabañas de la Mara Salvatrucha program, who move through different areas of the municipality.
Bukele’s strategy has led gangs to hide in rural areas, after being dismantled in large urban centers. The purpose of this new operation is to completely surround them and get them out of hiding.
Uncertainty about the distinction between criminals and innocent populations
Security forces’ ability to distinguish between gang members and innocent individuals remains unclear, raising concerns for residents, tourists, and visitors. Under the state of emergency, numerous human rights groups have criticized mass arrests, alleging arbitrary detentions. The promise to safeguard honest citizens and tourists has yet to address the potential violation of individuals’ rights.
Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas urges considering detainees’ presumption of innocence. He advocates for fair trials to guarantee justice for those accused in El Salvador.
Similar background
This is not the first time El Salvador’s security forces have cordoned off an area in their fight against gangs. In December of last year, President Bukele ordered the country’s third-largest city to be surrounded by 10,000 soldiers and police in order to combat gang members.
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