A second group of 2,000 suspected gangsters were transferred this Wednesday to El Salvador in the “largest prison in America” built for 40,000 inmates as part of the “war” against crime started a year ago by President Nayib Bukele.
“In a new operation we transferred the second group of two thousand gang members to the Terrorism Containment Center (CECOT). There are already four thousand gang members living in the most criticized prison in the world, ”announced Nayib Bukele on his Twitter account.
The detention conditions in this gigantic prison, in Tecoluca (74 km southeast of San Salvador), are denounced by human rights organizations.
3 helicopters and 1,200 soldiers to ensure the operation
The Salvadoran president published photos and videos of this transfer of detainees from the Izalco prison, while the Defense Minister, René Francis Merino, specified that 1,200 soldiers ensured the security of the operation, also monitored by three Army helicopters.
A first group of two thousand suspected gangsters had been taken to the CECOT on February 24.
The gigantic prison, equipped with high-tech surveillance, was inaugurated in early February. It was built to house the majority of the 64,000 suspected gang members imprisoned since the offensive against them under an exceptional regime decreed by Parliament at the request of Nayib Bukele.
The images transmitted by Nayib Bukele montrent de nombreux prisonniers enchaînés, portant des tatouages, signes de leur appartenance aux deux principales gangs de la Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) et du Barrio 18, torse nu et pieds nus, revêtus seulement d’un caleçon White white.
A popular president criticized by NGOs
Despite criticism from human rights NGOs over the abuses, the “war on crime” has earned President Bukele overwhelming popularity.
The NGO Cristosal announced that it had filed a complaint against El Salvador before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) last week for “the systematic violation of the fundamental rights” of 66 people detained in the framework of the “war against crime”. . “.
“The rights to liberty, to judicial guarantees, to be defended and to be tried by an independent and impartial judge have been violated,” according to Abraham Abrego, leader of Cristosal.
The exceptional regime allows arrests without a warrant and more than 64,500 people have been arrested in the last year.
Source: BFM TV
