In the face of a wave of violence, security forces in El Salvador have cracked down on suspected members of powerful gangs in the Central American country. Within a week 5184 suspects were arrested, President Nayib Bukele wrote on Twitter on Sunday. The head of state published videos of prisoner transports and armored vehicles of the security forces on the way to the operation.
The Salvadoran police had previously announced that they had arrested around 100 suspects on Sunday alone. They are accused of illegal possession of weapons, forming a criminal organization, drug possession and sexual violence.
Due to a wave of gang violence, the Salvadoran government recently declared a state of emergency. In addition, the penalties for crimes committed by gang members have been increased. Human rights organizations expressed concern. Head of state Bukele described non-governmental organizations, human rights activists and journalists as allies of the gangs on Sunday. “Your mask was torn off,” he wrote on Twitter.
A few years ago, El Salvador had the highest homicide rate in the world. Powerful youth gangs like the Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 fight for shares in drug trafficking and racketeering and control entire neighborhoods. Recently, the murder rate had dropped significantly, but there are still waves of violence.