This Central American country ‘is experiencing a profound human rights crisis that is deepening with the dismantling of democracy.’

On Monday, Salvadoran social organizations disapproved of the first year of President Nayib Bukele’s second term in office.

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In addition to reiterating that his presidency is unconstitutional, the organizations stated that the Central American country “is experiencing a profound human rights crisis that is deepening with the dismantling of democracy.”

On June 1, Bukele delivered a speech at the National Theater in San Salvador to mark the first year of his second five-year term as president. He said El Salvador “is on the right track,” defended the state of exception, and accused journalists and NGOs of coordinating attacks against his administration. He also claimed that democracy and human rights “are terms used to dominate.”

“I don’t care if they call me a dictator,” Bukele said during his speech and defended his security policy, assuring that his priority is to protect citizens from organized crime.

“The first unconstitutional year of President Bukele has let us down and is clearly failing because he has not fulfilled his promises. Instead of making progress, our public administration has regressed,” said Silvia Navarrete, secretary of the Health Workers’ Union (Sitrasalud).

“In the six years of the Bukele administration, health and education have deteriorated, as he has weakened those sectors instead of strengthening them,” she explained, referring to the reduced budgets for those areas.

“These six years of President Bukele’s government have been marked by intolerance, egocentrism, a thirst for power, corruption, the weakening and dismantling of the rule of law, pacts with gangs, broken promises, increasing poverty, and the criminalization and persecution of human rights defenders, union members and community leaders,” said Salomon Alfaro, spokesperson for the Popular Resistance and Rebellion Bloc.

“Bukele’s Sunday speech was filled with threats against journalists who tell the truth, which suggests there will be more repression in the years to come,” he added.

“These years of government have not met the needs of the population,” said Maria Ines Davila of the Critical Thought University Movement at the University of El Salvador. She also denounced “the deterioration in the functioning of institutions in recent years.”

“We demand respect for grassroots organizational processes, respect for popular organizations, and respect for the work of various civil society groups that have extensive experience in implementing actions to address the nation’s pressing issues,” Davila added.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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