El Salvador sends 10,000 police and soldiers to the city to fight the gangs

In one of El Salvador’s largest cities, 10,000 soldiers and agents have been deployed in a large-scale operation against gangs. The city of Soyapango, with nearly 300,000 inhabitants, was closed by the security services.

The troops control the access routes for anyone who wants to enter or leave the place. In Soyapango itself, a search is underway for the gang members. “Ordinary citizens have nothing to fear and can continue their lives as normal,” said the president. “This is an operation against criminals, not honest citizens.”

President Bukele’s government announced in late March the state of emergency after 62 people were killed in three days. More than 58,000 people have been arrested under the state of emergency. Human rights organizations have criticized Bukele’s tough approach, in part because young men are said to have been arrested arbitrarily. People can also be detained for a long time without trial.

In several places in El Salvador, Central America, entire neighborhoods are under the control of powerful gangs. They are often involved in drug trafficking and extortion. An estimated 70,000 people are members of such a gang.

El Salvador is a very violent country, but according to the government the tough approach is paying off. The number of homicides in the first ten months of this year decreased by 38 percent, according to the government, compared to a year ago.

It is not the first time that many members of the security forces have been deployed to close down a place. In October, a village was raided by 2,000 police and soldiers for a murder. Drones flew over the place and anyone who went out or wanted to enter the village was interrogated. About fifty suspects were arrested.