SAN SALVADOR: Tens of thousands of suspected gang members in El Salvador will remain jailed without trial until at least 2027 after lawmakers extended a controversial emergency measure.
The Legislative Assembly, dominated by President Nayib Bukele’s party, passed the reform just days before a two-year deadline to file charges expired.
Over 80,000 people have been detained since 2022 under Bukele’s gang crackdown, which suspended constitutional rights like warrantless arrests.
Opposition figures warn up to 40% of detainees may be innocent, with mass trials making fair legal defence nearly impossible.
Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado said 300 prosecutors will handle roughly 600 mass trials grouping suspects by gang affiliation or alleged crimes.
Human rights groups condemn the policy, citing arbitrary arrests and overcrowding at the CECOT mega-prison holding 15,000 detainees.
Protesters marched in San Salvador calling the emergency measures unconstitutional, demanding justice for wrongful detentions.
Critics accuse Bukele’s government of authoritarianism despite his high domestic approval for reducing gang violence.
The reform allows prosecutors up to three years to file charges before cases are dismissed, prolonging indefinite detention.
Legal experts warn mass trials violate due process by preventing individualised evidence review for each defendant. – AFP