The U.S. Department of State strongly recommends purchasing resources to enforce these prohibitions effectively. should contact OSACs Latin America Team with any questions. The PDDH regularly issued advisory opinions, reports, and press releases on prominent human rights cases. Complete travel The PNC also has a number of specialized units that investigate specific crimes and traffic enforcement, anti-gang, civil disturbance, VIP protection, and other special operations units. The arrest occurred minutes after the Second Investigative Court of San Salvador ordered house arrest for Muyshondt for the crimes of electoral fraud and illicit associations for allegedly negotiating with gangs in exchange for votes in the 2015 legislative elections. There are 21 From January through September, the Attorney Generals Office reported that it processed 150 cases of embezzlement, illicit negotiations, illicit enrichment, and bribery perpetrated by government employees. well-armed street gangs MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) The president defended the votes, claiming the Legislative Assembly had the authority to do this according to the constitution. El Salvador 2020 Crime & Safety Report This is an from inadequate funding and limited resources. Review OSACs report, All That You Should Vaccination and Health Guidance. against the government, generally by government employees, are common. in combating home invasion. container. As he was escorted from the court, Muyshondt declared himself as the first political prisoner of the Bukele dictatorship. Despite a court order from the Third Criminal Chamber again granting house arrest for Muyshondt, the General Directorate of Penal Centers never released him, claiming it did not have an available ankle-monitoring bracelet. crimes (e.g. murder rate in the United States. According to the most recent census, from 2007, there were 60 indigenous groups, making up 0.4 percent of citizens, mainly from the Nahua-Pipl, Lencas, Cacaopera (Kakwira), and Maya Chorti groups. Citing photographs and audio recordings, El Faro reported that former attorney general Raul Melaras investigation found evidence that the Bukele administration negotiated with the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs and that the DGCP removed hard drives and hundreds of logbooks documenting the negotiations four days after the publication of the initial article. There is negative sentiment toward individuals who identify as LGBTI. Several hours later they learned about the charges against them during a press conference. Although prison regulations require prisoner access to medical care, In November the president of the Association of Salvadoran Journalists (APES) stated at a journalism forum that journalists were seen by the government as enemies of the state. Public hospitals are very crowded. and Ethnic Violence. password. Monitored beach areas at clubs and public access beaches are less vulnerable to crime. When the gang members realized the victim and his friend resided in a different neighborhood, the gang members shot the victim, while the friend managed to escape. Find contact information for available medical services and available years. Country Summary: In March The bail system functioned adequately in most cases. On March 19, the Attorney Generals Office announced the arrest of Salvador Alcides Villegas, general manager of the Council of Mayors of Usulutan. costs. According to February 14 media reports, relatives of inmates had not communicated with inmates in a year. The contents of this (U) report in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State, Although the homicide rate has consistently declined since 2015's high of 103 per 100,000 inhabitants, El Salvador continues to have the highest homicide rate in Latin America. Additional Details Publication Type Lima registered over 500 murders from January to October 2021. The Inter American Press Association described the reform as a serious attack against democracy that would impact the local newspaper industry. Although the law provides for equal pay between men and women, women did not receive equal pay. Systemic racial discrimination existed towards those in the Afro-descendent community and indigenous groups. Public protests and strikes For more information, review OSACs report, The Overseas Travelers Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud. are plentiful, but not all medicines found in the U.S. are available. The government did not enforce the laws effectively, and the administration took no further action to implement the 2018 policy. According to the NGO Democracy, Transparency, and Justice Foundation, the new law seeks to retroactively protect government officials from misuse of public money for pandemic spending that occurred before the approval of the law. In 2018, the Government of El Salvador commissioned the National (PNC). Lesbian women said their gynecologists only focused on HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases when they learned that their patients were lesbian instead of spending time treating routine gynecological issues. The Attorney General's office and the office of the public defender did not share the name of Osorio's attorney when asked by Reuters. assault, homicide, rape, and sexual assault) accounted He did not disclose the total number of victims, and public officials have from the start provided conflicting accounts of the tally. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. On June 4, Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado ordered the arrest of former mayor of San Salvador and prominent opposition politician Ernesto Muyshondt for the charge of misappropriation of tax withholdings to the detriment of the Public Treasury while mayor. MS-13 a Transnational Criminal Organization in its list of Specially Designated Nationals. Most Airplanes, Public Transport, and Overnights. counter-terrorism efforts. notably declined since 2015's high of 104 per 100,000 inhabitants, El Salvador As of August 30, APES had registered 173 violations of the exercise of journalism, an increase of 73 percent, compared with 2020. Three of the 296 complaints were referred to the Attorney Generals Office for prosecution, while the 293 unresolved cases remained under investigation by the PNC. In addition the attorney general and Supreme Court were given authority, at their discretion, to transfer prosecutors and judges between districts. ), Embassy 24-Hour Contact Number: (503) 2501-2999. Crime can run the gamut from credit card skimming to homicide, and is characterized by violence directed against known targeted victims and targets of opportunity. Internet trolling and other disreputable practices occur, but there is little evidence of organized economic espionage. Practices, and Evasive Driving Air Ambulance: (305) 535-7380 (International SOS, Mount Sinai Hospital, Miami Beach, Florida). The government did not effectively enforce the laws on freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, and penalties were not commensurate with those for other laws involving denials of civil rights, such as discrimination. Reach the American Citizen Services (ACS) Unit at U.S. Embassy San Salvador at (503) 2501-2999. The law prohibits domestic violence and generally provides for sentences for conviction ranging from one to three years in prison, although some forms of domestic violence carry higher penalties. Many restaurants and business owners hire private security for their premises; this has the tendency to deter most petty crime and spontaneous robberies. or the United States Government, except as otherwise noted (e.g., travel advisories, public statements). demonstrations concentrate in/around city centers or public buildings and other America Natural Disaster Emergency Planning: OSAC Guidance and Resources. Funes, Ceren, the five arrested officials, and the other former officials with arrest warrants all belonged to opposition party FMLN. Impunity for official corruption remained endemic. Seismic tremors of a magnitude of approximately 5.0 occur on a regular basis, usually causing little damage. Except in some very rural locations, police are generally aware of a U.S. citizen detainee's right to contact the Embassy. earthquake struck off the coast, causing light damage and reportedly contributing The law prohibits workers from appealing a government decision declaring a strike illegal. insurance valid for El Salvador, including coverage for medical evacuation judicial developments that would appear to have a significant impact on U.S. In 2019, the municipalities of San Salvador Public buses are often in poor Review the On January 11,Diario El Mundoreported that coffee farmers complained that gangs operating near the farms did not allow cutters from outside the neighborhood to enter the farms to work unless they paid an extortion fee. few private hospitals. El The Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) estimated there were 114,000 new instances of internal forced displacement due to violence during 2020 and reported the causes included threats, extortion, and assassinations perpetrated by criminal gangs. U.S. Find the closest American Space in El Salvador where you can connect with the U.S. El Salvador is a constitutional multiparty republic with a democratically elected government. News media occasionally report that Salvadoran authorities have detected and deported persons attempting to enter El Salvador with skimming equipment. On September 19,El Faroreported that the Attorney Generals Office under former attorney general Melara found evidence that Bureau of Prisons Director Osiris Luna embezzled $1.6 million worth of food between September and November 2020 from the Public Health Emergency Program, a government food program assisting families during the pandemic. assistance is limited to ensuring U.S. citizens are not mistreated, contacting birth, address, and other personal information on resumes and other documents. As of April the DGCP reported approximately 51 percent (18,652 prisoners) of the prison population were active or former gang members. insurance valid for El Salvador, including coverage for medical evacuation Since 2015, the per-capita annual homicide rate has fallen to 81/100,000 in 2016, 60/100,000 in 2017, and 50/100,000 in 2018. El Salvador has concerns regarding ATM/credit card crime, including at well-known restaurants, hotels, gas stations, and retailers. Those who may have sexual contact, receive tattoos, or require medical treatment in El Salvador should receive the hepatitis B vaccine. The CDC offers additional information on vaccines and health guidance for El Salvador. (STEP) to ensure they receive pertinent security updates and notices. Property Children were subjected to other worst forms of child labor, including commercial sexual exploitation (see section 6, Children) and recruitment into illegal gangs to perform illicit activities in the arms and narcotics trades, including committing homicide. Most unions functioned independently from the government and political parties, although many generally were aligned with political parties of Nuevas Ideas, GANA, ARENA, and the FMLN. surreptitious theft of bags, backpacks, or purses. Overseas Security Advisory Council open sources and (U) embassy reporting. The report included testimony from 12 individuals who said they were detained illegally. Division for the Protection of Women, Children, Adolescents, and Other international health insurance before traveling internationally. More than 200 judges were forced by the new laws to retire, including Judge Jorge Guzman Urquilla, the magistrate overseeing the prosecution of 13 surviving former military officers for the alleged El Mozote massacre of more than 800 civilians in 1981. On July 22, the PNC arrested five former government officials on charges of illicit enrichment for having received illegal side payments that exceeded their salaries authorized by law. Equipment There is often have a different brand name and are frequently more expensive than in the