New reports reveal that El Salvador police, under intense pressure from President Nayib Bukele's administration, have been making arbitrary arrests, often targeting individuals based solely on rumors and personal attributes, as part of a controversial gang crackdown.
Police Confessions: Quotas Behind El Salvador’s Mass Arrests Amid Gang Crackdown
Police Confessions: Quotas Behind El Salvador’s Mass Arrests Amid Gang Crackdown
Officers admit that pressure to meet arrest quotas led to flawed arrests during President Bukele's controversial anti-gang campaign.
El Salvador has witnessed unprecedented mass arrests under President Nayib Bukele’s gang crackdown, with about 80,000 individuals imprisoned since the state of emergency was declared in 2022. Families have long claimed that many arrests were based on neighborhood gossip or harmless tattoos. This week, some police officers have come forward corroborating these statements, revealing the significant pressure they faced to meet arrest quotas.
According to a recent Human Rights Watch report and interviews with multiple officers, the quotas set by the Bukele administration prompted police to arrest individuals without proper evidence. While the crackdown has resulted in notable decreases in gang violence, the methods used to achieve this safety have raised serious ethical concerns among law enforcement. Officers expressed fears of being labeled as gang collaborators if they resisted these orders, leading to what many believe to be arbitrary detentions.
Despite the dramatic turnaround in public safety, the troubling reports from within the police force highlight the costs of such measures and the chilling effect they have had on proper police practices in El Salvador. This revelation poses significant questions about the sustainability of President Bukele's approach to crime and its implications for human rights in the country.
