Salvadoran President Claims That No Civilians Died During the War Against Gangs
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January 19, 2026 Hour: 3:10 pm
The state of emergency, which has extended 46 times, has been criticized for human rights violations.
On Monday, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele stated that during the “war” against gangs under the state of emergency, “no civilians died” and that “God guided” the plan.
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He emphasized that El Salvador is “the safest country in the Western Hemisphere” thanks to the state of emergency, in effect since March 2022, which has allowed for the capture of 90,844 alleged gang members.
The Salvadoran president described the gangs as a dictatorship that imposed curfews, collected taxes, and murdered those who did not pay, asserting that criminal groups were the true government of the country.
The state of emergency, which has extended 46 times, has been criticized for human rights violations. However, Bukele insisted that the absence of civilian casualties is proof that “God guided” the operations.
While relatives of detainees have asked the Supreme Court to declare the measure unconstitutional, the Humanitarian Legal Aid denounced the deaths of 454 Salvadorans in prisons since 2022.
Given that other Latin American governments have shown interest in replicating the Salvadoran model, Bukele shared his experience with Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves, who plans to build a mega-prison similar to CECOT.
The offensive against the MS-13 and Barrio 18 gangs reduced homicides to historic lows, although human rights organizations point to abuses and thousands of people imprisoned without gang ties. Nearly 8,000 of the 90,000 arrested were released after being found innocent.
teleSUR: JP
Source: EFE – DW – France 24
