The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) released a report regarding the Salvadoran State of Exception security measure and its impact on human rights.
The Commission called on the Salvadoran government to end the State of Exception and to restore suspended rights. Additionally, it recommended implementing measures to prevent, control, and combat crime while respecting human rights.
Coincidentally, the report was published on the same week the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly extended the controversial State of Exception for the 30th consecutive time, for another 30 days.
The State of Exception is a security measure that the Government enacted in response to a surge in violence by criminal organizations that resulted in 87 homicides in a single weekend in late March 2022. This was the most violent weekend since Bukele assumed the presidency.
SEE ALSO: El Salvador State of Exception; A Security Measure Implemented to Fight Gangs
President Bukele has dismissed previous criticism from international organizations regarding the State of Exception.
Nayib Bukele maintains that the security measure has transformed El Salvador from one of the most violent countries in the world to one of the safest in the region.
SEE ALSO: El Salvador Homicide Rate: The Nation Achieves Historic Reductions in Violence
In its report, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights acknowledges the current and unprecedented levels of improved security in El Salvador. For that same reason, it considers that “there is no emergency situation that justifies maintaining the suspension of rights.”
Andres Guzman, the Presidential Commissioner for Human Rights and Freedom of Expression of El Salvador, reacted to the latest report of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
Gusman emphasized that the Salvadoran government has made responsible, well-grounded decisions to sustain these achievements and maintain peace nationwide.
He noted that the primary goal of implementing exceptional measures has been to protect fundamental rights, especially the right to life and personal security for all citizens.
In summary, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights acknowledges that the country is now more secure and calls for an end to the State of Exception.
The government, however, asserts that these measures have restored peace to thousands of families who once lived under the constant threat of gangs. They have also stated that the State of Exception will continue until all gang members are apprehended.
