Central America

Security fences in El Salvador prevented gangs from regrouping

Photo: ABC

May 1 |

In addition to providing security to the population and putting criminals behind bars, the security fences implemented in El Salvador, specifically in Soyapango, Tutunichapa and La Granjita as phase 5 of the Territorial Control Plan (PCT), have prevented gangs from regrouping, according to Defense Minister René Merino Monroy.

“Through the military fences we have prevented the gangs from regrouping and thus guaranteeing the security of the population. Now we have given the population peace of mind, so that they can move around in peace,” said Merino Monroy.

The security fences are part of the PCT’s “Extraction” phase, which was launched in November of last year and aims to remove all gang members who continue to commit crimes in neighborhoods and colonias. The authorities carried out the same type of siege that was implemented in Comasagua, La Libertad, last year, where 2,000 soldiers and police were deployed in search of the murderers of a farm caretaker who was a victim of extortion. For the time being, these fences remain permanent in Soyapango and the communities of Tutunichapa and La Granjita in San Salvador.

“This phase has two elements, one is the extraction and the other is, based on what has been learned during the regime, to fence off large areas while the gang members are being extracted,” said the President of the Republic, Nayib Bukele during the launch of this phase.

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In December 2022, a contingent of 8,500 soldiers and 1,500 police officers were deployed in Soyapango to encircle the entire municipality. The Minister of Defense has detailed that so far more than 1,400 gang members have been captured in this area alone and this has led to a drastic reduction in homicides in the area. In addition, the authorities have recovered more than 1,000 homes that were usurped by gangs in neighborhoods such as La Campanera, Monte Blanco, Las Margaritas and the 22 de Abril community, among others, considered highly dangerous in Soyapango.

La Tutunichapa and La Granjita were also surrounded in December last year. More than 1,000 soldiers and 100 police were distributed in both communities in search of gang members. The presence of the security forces has led to a decrease in crime, including drug trafficking, as these areas were characterized by the retail sale of narcotics. To date there have been more than 350 arrests in both communities, according to the police; in addition, drug trafficking has been hit hard. In just the first two weeks after the fences were implemented, more than seven kilos of drugs, including cocaine, marijuana and crack, had been seized.

The security that now exists in these two communities has changed the lives of the inhabitants. New businesses have been established in the areas and institutions such as the Ministry of Public Works (MOP), the Ministry of Health, the Social Housing Fund, the Mortgage Bank and the Consumer Protection Agency have come forward to offer their services to the inhabitants. Even the Ministry of Agriculture has been holding “agromarkets”.

The implementation of the security fences together with the execution of the exception regime has allowed that in the last year the gangs have been dismantled, capturing more than 68,000 gang members, among them leaders and collaborators, in addition, 3,571 vehicles, 2,698 firearms and 16,437 cell phones have been seized from these structures.

These measures, which are focused on curbing criminal activity, have been viewed positively by the Salvadoran population. The security forces, deployed by the emergency regime and as part of the PCT, have been supported by Salvadorans. Providing food, giving a place to rest and verbally expressing gratitude are some of the actions with which the population expresses the work of soldiers and police.

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International

Trump Says Iran Is Welcome at 2026 World Cup but Warns of Security Concerns

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, said Thursday that the national football team of Iran is “welcome” to participate in the 2026 World Cup, although he suggested it might be safer for the team not to take part in the tournament.

“The Iranian national soccer team is welcome at the World Cup, but I really don’t think it’s appropriate for them to be there, for their own safety,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

His comments came a day after Iran’s sports minister, Ahman Donyamali, said that there are currently no conditions for the country to participate in the tournament following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, during a military offensive launched on February 28 by Israel and the United States.

“After the corrupt government killed our leader, there are no conditions that allow us to take part in the World Cup,” the Iranian official said. He added that the country has faced two wars in the past eight or nine months, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths, making participation in the tournament unlikely.

On Tuesday, the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, met with Trump at the White House.

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Following the meeting, Infantino said that Trump reiterated that Iran’s national team would be allowed to compete in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

“We discussed the current situation in Iran and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026. During the conversation, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino wrote on Instagram.

Central America

UN Rapporteur Warns of “Deep Crisis” in Guatemala’s Judicial System

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, said Monday that Guatemala’s judicial system is facing a “deep crisis” after evaluating the country’s institutional situation.

Speaking at a press conference in Guatemala City, the UN official explained that several factors have weakened judicial independence and placed the justice system in a “critical” situation.

Among the main problems identified were the “instrumentalization of justice,” concentration of power, and persecution of judicial officials, elements that, according to Satterthwaite, undermine the functioning of the rule of law in the country.

Satterthwaite presented these conclusions while releasing her final report on the visit she carried out in May 2025, when she spent 12 days in Guatemala assessing the performance of the judicial system.

During her stay, she met with judges, prosecutors, public defenders, lawyers, lawmakers, civil society organizations, and representatives of Indigenous communities, as well as officials from the executive, judicial, and legislative branches. These meetings took place in Guatemala City and in the departments of Quetzaltenango and Alta Verapaz.

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The rapporteur also reiterated her concern about the role of the Public Ministry of Guatemala, noting that the information collected points to the existence of a policy of criminalization against justice operators.

Despite this scenario, Satterthwaite expressed confidence that Guatemala can reverse the situation, highlighting that the country’s Constitution has previously demonstrated the ability to guarantee respect for the rule of law.

She also stressed that key appointments expected in the coming months will be decisive for the future of the judicial system, including the selection of a new Constitutional Court of Guatemala, a new Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Guatemala, and a new attorney general to replace the current head of the Public Ministry, Consuelo Porras.

“The appointments scheduled for 2026 to the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, and the Public Ministry will be decisive in determining whether the current patterns of institutional capture and impunity will be consolidated or reversed,” the rapporteur concluded.

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Central America

UN Report Warns of Nicaragua’s “Transnational” Surveillance Network Targeting Dissidents

A special panel of the United Nations accused the government of Nicaragua on Tuesday of diverting public funds to finance the repression of political opposition both inside and outside the country, including through what it described as a “transnational network” of surveillance and intelligence.

The panel presented a new report to the press on the situation in the Central American nation, which has been governed since 2007 by President Daniel Ortega and his wife and vice president Rosario Murillo.

Based on dozens of interviews and extensive documentary evidence, the report states that since 2018—the year when student protests erupted and were violently suppressed—public funds have been diverted to support repression, including money originally allocated for social assistance programs and public sanitation projects.

According to the report, a “parallel structure” was created within the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front to channel resources toward security operations, pro-government armed groups, and party activities.

The investigation was carried out at the request of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

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Another key finding of the report concerns the existence of a surveillance and intelligence network that extends far beyond Nicaragua’s borders, allegedly used to monitor, intimidate, and target hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans living abroad.

The report documents an intelligence structure involving the military, police, migration authorities, the telecommunications regulator TELCOR, diplomatic missions, and operators linked to the FSLN.