U.S. Accuses El Salvador’s Government of Cutting a Deal With Gangs

The administration of El Salvador’s President

Nayib Bukele

secretly negotiated a truce with the imprisoned leaders of the country’s best felony gangs in trade for financial and jail benefits, like intercourse personnel and cellphones, the U.S. Treasury explained on Wednesday.

The accusation by the U.S. authorities is the most up-to-date indicator of growing stress with the impoverished Central American nation, where rampant violence and endemic poverty have led to mass migration to the U.S.

Border cities like Brownsville, Texas, are seeing their means stretched as they do the job to manage the increasing selection of migrant people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. WSJ’s Michelle Hackman studies. Image: Verónica G. Cárdenas

Salvadoran gangs also have an in depth existence in U.S. communities, in accordance to the U.S. authorities, which has criticized Mr. Bukele’s steps to cement electrical power by weakening institutions and the rule of law.

The U.S. Treasury explained it was imposing sanctions on Osiris Luna, El Salvador’s deputy justice minister and prisons director, and Carlos Marroquín, head of a welfare company, for their participation in the top secret negotiations.

The authorities “provided financial incentives to Salvadoran gangs MS-13 and 18th Avenue Gang (Barrio eighteen) to make certain that incidents of gang violence and the selection of confirmed homicides remained very low,” the U.S. Treasury explained in a statement.

As portion of the top secret deal, the gangs “received privileges for gang management incarcerated in Salvadoran prisons, these as the provision of cellular telephones and prostitutes,” the Treasury explained.

The deal also secured the gang’s political support for Mr. Bukele’s ruling social gathering in midterm elections before this calendar year, the Treasury included.

Mr. Bukele denied the accusations on Twitter. “How can they set out these an noticeable lie without the need of anyone questioning them?” he explained in a put up.

A spokesman for Mr. Bukele didn’t answer to a ask for for comment. Messrs. Luna and Marroquín couldn’t be arrived at for comment.

The U.S. sanctions block all property and financial passions that Messrs. Luna and Marroquin have in the U.S. and U.S. citizens are prohibited from any transactions with them.

The forty-calendar year-outdated Mr. Bukele, who enjoys substantial approval ratings, has denied studies by the community news publication El Faro that his administration negotiated with gangs to minimize down on homicides, which have fallen sharply during his time in business office.

Write to Santiago Pérez at [email protected]

Copyright ©2021 Dow Jones & Organization, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8