The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador has given the green light to a new extension of the state of exception that has been in effect in the country since March 2022, which means the measure will remain active for another 30 days. The Government maintains that this tool continues to be key in the offensive against gangs and crime.
The president of the Salvadoran Parliament, Ernesto Castro, confirmed the decision after the vote held in the plenary session, which closed with 57 votes in favor and only one against. "Today we have approved a new extension of the state of exception. For the lives of Salvadorans and for the peace of mind of families in the territories," stated the legislative leader.
Subsequently, Castro insisted on his support for the security strategy of President Nayib Bukele's Executive and underlined the commitment of the ruling majority to the continuity of the extraordinary regime. "Our votes will always be for a better El Salvador," he said in a message disseminated through his social networks, referring to what is already the 51st extension of the state of exception since it was established.
The initiative to extend the validity of the exceptional regime again was sent to the Assembly by the Council of Ministers and debated in a session in which the head of Public Security, Gustavo Villatoro, defended the need to maintain it. The minister argued before the deputies that "conditions still persist that justify the continuity of the extraordinary measures," according to the Salvadoran newspaper 'La Prensa Gráfica'.
In the same vein, ruling party legislator Caleb Navarro highlighted the change experienced by the country in terms of security. He stated that El Salvador has gone from being "one of the most dangerous in the world" to becoming an "international benchmark in security" thanks to the state of exception, despite complaints from non-governmental organizations, which warn of alleged abuses and excesses committed by security forces under this regulation.
The exceptional framework grants the Salvadoran Executive the power to suspend certain constitutional freedoms and guarantees in order to facilitate the massive deployment of military and police agents in the streets and in municipalities where homicides and other serious crimes are concentrated.