After a wave of murders left 89 people dead in one weekend, the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, initiated a nationwide crackdown to target the gangs he claims are responsible. Declaring a "state of emergency," he asked the legislative branch to grant police exceptional powers for 30 days, allowing them to surveil or arrest anyone they choose without a warrant or due process. The state of emergency orders were set to expire at the end of April, but today they were extended for an additional 30 days.
In raids performed immediately after the Salvadoran Congress' approved the state of emergency on March 27, police officers executed warrantless arrests of thousands, most of whom were denied the right to an attorney and due process. United Nations investigators have raised alarms over the detentions. Family members of many of the people arrested never received an explanation for why they were detained and have reported being unable to reach them or obtain information on their cases.
