Another 2,000 arrested gang members were taken to the mega prison in El Salvador. President Nayib Bukele shared the footage of the gang members being taken to prison on his Twitter account and stated that the struggle would continue. Bukele “Today is carrying out a new action and we have sent the second gang group of 2,000 people to the Anti-Terrorism Center (CECOT). Thus, the number of gang members living in the most criticized prison in the world has reached 4,000.” used the phrase.
The video shared by Bukele shows the moments when the gang members were transported to the prison in short shorts, tattooed bodies and bare feet under intense security measures. The last time 2,000 gang members were taken to the mega prison was on February 26.
THE LARGEST PRISON IN THE AMERICA
The so-called mega prison was inaugurated on February 2, on an area of 166 hectares in a valley in the town of Tecoluca, 74 kilometers from San Salvador.
The “Terror Conservation Center”, which was built to fight against gangs and is said to be the largest prison in the Americas, was opened by President Bukele. It is recorded that the current prison capacity in the country is around 30 thousand.
According to a survey published by the American Central University in October 2022, 75.9 percent of El Salvadorans approve of the government’s state of emergency (OHAL) decision and think that Bukele’s policies have reduced crime rates.
In his speech on November 24, 2022, Bukele pointed out that more than 60,000 people have been arrested under the state of emergency since March, and said that such measures also work in the city of Comasagua, where some gang members accused of murder are sought.
It is stated that after the strict measures taken in El Salvador, the number of murders committed in the January-October period of 2022 decreased by 38 percent compared to the same period of 2021.
MS13 GANG KEPT RESPONSIBLE
A state of emergency was declared in El Salvador for a month on March 27, then this decision was renewed every month.
Bukele said on 30 June that the war against armed groups would intensify.
Since the beginning of March, more than 100 people have lost their lives in operations against gang members in the country, and it has been reported that the number of detained has exceeded 65 thousand.
Authorities blame the MS13 gang for the re-escalation of violence in the country.
El Salvador, which is one of the countries with the highest murder rate in the world, has serious security problems due to the power of gangs in the country. (AA-UAV)