El Salvador, under President Nayib Bukele's intensified anti-gang efforts, deployed over 4,000 security forces to three communities near the capital.
Bukele, leveraging emergency powers granted in response to a surge in gang violence in March 2022, announced the pre-dawn operation in a video posted on platform X.
The operation targeted gang members involved in drug trafficking, protection rackets, and extortion, with Bukele vowing to continue until the capture of the last alleged terrorist. This aggressive offensive has led to the imprisonment of over 72,000 alleged gang members or affiliates, and Bukele is anticipated to seek an extension of these emergency powers. Initiated by Bukele in response to escalating gang violence, the prison operates under a state of exception, lacking visits, rehabilitation programs, or educational workshops for inmates.
While Bukele's security policies have reduced gang influence in neighborhoods, critics express concerns about due process violations and fatalities within the prison system. The crackdown, while popular among Salvadorans, faces international criticism from human rights organizations and foreign governments.
Security forces have executed similar operations over the past year, utilizing checkpoints and door-to-door searches to locate gang members.
Photo Courtesy: ©Getty Images/Alex Peña / Stringer
Video Courtesy: AP Associated Press via YouTube
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