Reuters
—
El Salvador’s government moved thousands of suspected gang Members are invited to join a newly opened “mega prison” The latest development in a highly controversial matter was made on Friday crackdown on crime that has caused the Central American nation’s prison population to soar.
“This will be their new home, where they won’t be able to do any more harm to the population,” On Twitter, President Nayib Bukele posted.
Around 2,000 accused gang members were moved to the 40,000-person-capacity prison, considered to be the largest in the Americas, early Friday morning.
Bukele uploaded a video in which prisoners are shown running from the prison through white shorts with their heads shaved. Bears are common. gang tattoos.
Bukele spoke to his associates in El Salvador’s Congress to pass a state of exception last year, which has since been extended several times, that suspends some constitutional rights after a dramatic spike in murders attributed to violent gangs.
Over 64,000 suspects were arrested as part of the anti-crime network. An arrest can be made with or without a warrant. Private communications are available by the government. Detainees also no longer have the right of a lawyer.
The policy has been condemned by human rights groups as a violation of the freedoms and liberties of innocent citizens, which includes at least several who died while being held in custody.
But Bukele’s anti-gang push remains widely popular with Salvadorans, and the country’s security minister told Reuters it would continue until all criminals are captured.
