El Salvador Declares State of Emergency After Gangs Killed 62 in Just 24 Hours

El Salvador's parliament on Sunday declared a state of emergency in the country following the deaths of at least 62 individuals believed to be killed by gangs.

According to BBC, the new law passed by El Salvador's Congress restricts the public from holding gatherings. The law also authorizes arrest without a warrant.

The decree also suspends constitutional rights, such as freedom of association and the right to a state-sponsored defense in court, for 30 days, CNN reported. The outlet noted that the move was made to better target criminal groups.

The new law would allow security forces to intercept phone calls and hold suspects in preliminary detention for longer periods. BBC reported that the state of emergency in El Salvador would last for at least 30 days.

"We made it right for the people of El Salvador... We approved a state of emergency to allow the Government to protect the life of the people of El Salvador and to tackle criminality head-on," Ernesto Castro, president of the legislative assembly, tweeted after the announcement of the government decree.

Comments of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, Police About Killings in the Country

Following the announcement of the decree, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele said the country had a new spike in homicides, which was an issue they "had worked so hard to reduce."

"While we fight criminals in the streets, we must try to figure out what is happening and who is financing this," Bukele noted.

Bukele has also ordered a full lockdown of prison inmates who belong to gangs, according to DW.

"They are not to go out even to the patio... because of your actions, now your homeboys will not see even one ray of sunlight," Bukele said.

On Sunday, El Salvador's National Civil Police said they were focusing their efforts on the "war against gangs" conducted at a national level.

The agency also pledged to capture the criminals who caused suffering to the people of El Salvador and said they would make sure that no crime should go unpunished.

El Salvador Gangs Killed 62 People in One Day

According to Mirror, at least 62 in El Salvador people were killed across the country in just a day.

Police said the latest bloodshed left 12 people dead in the central department of La Libertad and nine each in San Salvador and Ahuachapan. The other killings spread across the country.

Saturday's death toll of 62, which is thought to be the most violent 24-hour period since 1992, followed the killings of another 14 people on Friday, also believed to be gang-related murders.

According to reports, the recent killings in El Salvador were driven by gangs Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13 and Barrio 18.

Police said at least five leaders of the MS-13 gang were arrested hours before the lawmakers voted to approve the state of emergency in El Salvador.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

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