El Salvador Parliament Extends State Of Emergency For 5th Time To Combat Crime

MEXICO CITY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th August, 2022) Lawmakers of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador voted on Wednesday for another extension of the state of emergency, introduced on March 27 to combat organized crime.

"During the 68th plenary session, we extended the state of emergency for another 30 days in order to continue to protect the lives of thousands of Salvadorans," the assembly said on Twitter.

The parliament imposed a month-long state of emergency on March 27 at President Nayib Bukele's request after over 60 people were killed in a shootout with armed gangs in one day. Bukele referred to local criminals as terrorists and pledged to impose 30-year jail sentences just for belonging to an organized criminal gang.

The state of emergency and associated law enforcement operations sought to curb a spike in murders both inside and outside prisons, which have been attributed to the largest Central American gang, Mara Salvatrucha. According to Bukele, since the emergency was declared, the crime rate in the country has declined markedly, with homicides dropping to zero.

The latest figures from the Salvadoran police indicate that over 50,000 criminals have been detained in the country since the state of emergency was introduced.