SAN SALVADOR.- The Movement of Victims of the Regime (Movir) led a mobilization in San Salvador, where relatives of individuals not associated with gangs and detained under the emergency regime expressed their request for alternative measures to prison for those who suffer from chronic or terminal illnesses.
“We are specifically asking that inmates, who have no ties to criminal groups and face chronic or terminal illnesses, have access to alternatives to detention,” said Movir leader Samuel Ramírez.
The mobilization, which brought together nearly a hundred family members, culminated in front of Congress, where they were met with a barbed wire barrier and a contingent of anti-riot agents who blocked access. However, two deputies left the legislative chamber to receive the Movir request.
The premise of the application is to ensure adequate medical care and timely administration of medications, even if your legal process continues, but away from the prison environment.
Forced disappearences
Local human rights associations reported 327 cases of forced disappearances until October, data not independently confirmed by the authorities or the AFP.
In that sense, Ramírez stressed that, since the beginning of the “war” against gangs under the emergency regime implemented since March 2022, more than 200 people have died in state custody in circumstances that are still unclear.
“We have heard testimonies from relatives who have lost loved ones in prison, presumably due to lack of adequate medical care. Our petition seeks to prevent these tragedies,” highlighted the Movir leader.
It is relevant to mention that the legislative branch is dominated by Nuevas Ideas, the party led by Nayib Bukele, who is seeking re-election in the February 4 elections. The government attributes the decline in the homicide rate to the controversial war against gangs under the emergency regime, criticized for allowing warrantless arrests, resulting in more than 75,000 arrests, with the release of more than 7,000 innocent individuals.
Source: With information from AFP
