Jesuits denounce arbitrary arrests in El Salvador | News

The rector of the Central American University, Andreu Oliva, denounced the arrests of innocent people and the torture of captives under the emergency regime imposed by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to combat the scourge of crime driven by the influence of gangs in the country. Central American.

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The academic criticized the government's actions during the commemoration of the murder of six Catholic priests, members of the Society of Jesus, and two collaborators 34 years ago, on November 16, 1989, at the hands of members of the Salvadoran Army during the civil war. (1980-1992).

Oliva pointed out: "I would say to our authorities, to the police and soldiers: It is very good that you want to guarantee the security of your people, that is your duty, but act fairly, respect the law and do not take innocent people prisoner without evidence that they have committed a crime, do not falsely denounce, do not act with violence or mistreat their people.

"Do not continue torturing those deprived of liberty, do not treat them with violence, treat them with the respect they deserve as the people they are, do not allow them to continue dying in prisons, be compassionate and merciful with their families and mothers and report in a timely manner." of the health and whereabouts of their children," he continued.

The rector has joined his voice with the various human rights organizations that question the emergency regime, for suppressing constitutional guarantees and allowing arrests without court orders, also on behalf of the 191 people who have died in prisons under state custody.

Despite the rejection, the theory of achieving citizen tranquility is maintained, which is why the Legislative Assembly extended last Tuesday, for the twentieth time, a nodal measure of President Bukele's internal security project that, although it has led to the arrest of 73,800 gang members, has also freed 7,000 innocents.

Along with criticism for the new extension of the emergency regime, which will be in effect from November 13 to December 12, the Jesuits also rebuke Bukele for his spending on "lying propaganda", such as the Miss Universe pageant to be held in the country on next week.

"To our president, I would say: do not look for your own interest, do not let yourself be carried away by ambition and the desire to increase your fame with lying propaganda, spending millions of dollars on it, with beauty contests that cost millions of dollars, while There are so many people who are hungry in their country," Oliva said.