For the seventeenth time, the Legislative Assembly extended the emergency regime, which keeps at least three constitutional rights suspended. The measure was approved by waiver of paperwork with the votes of Nuevas Ideas, GANA, the PCN and the PDC.
In the extension request, the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Gustavo Villatoro, establishes that the emergency regime must be maintained to “maintain order, citizen security and territorial control.”
During his presentation, Villatoro explained to the deputies that “there is no country in the Western Hemisphere that truly defends the human rights of the majority.” Villatoro assured that President Bukele is redefining the concept of democracy.
Referring to the military siege imposed in Cabañas, Villatoro said that President Bukele ordered this measure from August 1, 2023, to “combat the redoubts of armed gang members” inside the country. At least 8,000 elements of the Armed Forces remain in this area, he indicated.
For his part, Defense Minister René Francis Merino Monroy reported the capture of 56 people so far in the military siege and the confiscation of 28 firearms. The exception regime has been in force since March 27, 2022.