San Salvador El Salvador. Since 2019, the Salvadoran government has been omitting key data from its official homicide tally, a move that could conceal the factual state of violence in the country.
The government’s homicide data does not count deaths resulting from confrontations between the authorities and suspected gang members, and it does not include murders involving bodies discovered in mass graves.
Not counting those deaths raises concerns about the reliability of El Salvador’s crime statistics and its homicide rate.
El Salvador does not follow the Bogotá Protocol, the regional standard for measuring homicides, meaning its murder rate cannot be directly compared to countries that follow this protocol.
The decision to omit these deaths follows a broader pattern of secrecy surrounding crime data in El Salvador, particularly since the implementation of President Nayib Bukele’s security policies, including the state of exception that began in March 2022.
While authorities claim that the country’s homicide rate has dramatically declined, independent analysts warn that selective reporting could distort the actual figures.
By omitting key data, the government can present a more favorable narrative about its success in combating gang violence despite potential ongoing human rights concerns.
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Failure to Follow the Bogotá Protocol
El Salvador’s approach to homicide reporting is also problematic because it does not adhere to the Bogotá Protocol, a widely recognized standard for counting homicides in Latin America.
The protocol, developed by criminologists and law enforcement agencies across the region, establishes clear guidelines for categorizing violent deaths, ensuring consistency and transparency in crime statistics.
The protocol requires that all violent deaths be counted, including extrajudicial killings and deaths caused by security forces, unless they result from clearly established self-defense.
By failing to adopt this methodology, El Salvador risks misrepresenting the actual levels of violence, making it difficult for independent observers to assess the effectiveness of the country’s security policies.
Challenges in Comparing Homicide Rates Across Latin America
Due to inconsistencies in data collection, comparing homicide rates between El Salvador and other Latin American countries is problematic.
Most nations in the region follow the Bogotá Protocol or have similar rigorous methodologies, making their statistics more comprehensive and transparent.
When El Salvador excludes specific categories of violent deaths, its homicide rate appears lower than that of neighboring countries, potentially misleading international observers, policymakers, and the public.
SEE ALSO: Latin America Homicide Rate: Which Country Had the Lowest Rate?
El Salvador’s decision to omit key homicide data and disregard standardized reporting methods raises significant concerns about government transparency and the accuracy of crime statistics.
Without counting these killings, the country’s reported homicide rate cannot be reliably compared to those of other Latin American nations.
As long as crime data remains selectively reported by the Salvadoran Government, the true extent of violence in El Salvador will remain uncertain.
