El Salvador: The human cost of the state of exception could amount to crimes against humanity
What began as a temporary measure allegedly to combat gang violence has evolved into a permanent system that promotes and justifies mass arbitrary detention, the suspension of guarantees, and serious human rights violations that could amount to crimes against humanity. These are the conclusions reached by Amnesty International in its new report “Security” without rights: The impact of mass arbitrary detentions and denial of due process on the possible commission of crimes against humanity in El Salvador.
Four years after the introduction of the state of exception, more than 90,000 people have been detained, at least 470 have died in state custody and thousands of families continue to seek answers about the whereabouts, health or legal status of their loved ones. The report documents how exceptionality was progressively transformed into a permanent security policy based on the prolonged suspension of rights and the systematic weakening of the rule of law.
“Security cannot be built on arbitrariness, torture, enforced disappearances and the annulment of due process,” said Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International. “The state has an obligation to protect the population from criminal violence and to investigate and punish crimes committed by gangs, but that obligation does not authorize the commission of serious human rights violations.”