Central America

Bukele warns gang members face ‘prison or death’

AFP

President Nayib Bukele on Thursday called on parents to keep their children out of gangs to avoid “prison or death”, a day after El Salvador quintupled the maximum jail sentence for such membership.

Bukele published a video on Twitter showing the tough conditions inmates face in El Salvador, showing some sleeping on the floor in crowded cells and complaining about food rationing and a lack of sanitation.

“To parents. Show your teenage children this video, explain to them that joining a gang leaves only two options: prison or death,” wrote Bukele.

On Wednesday, Congress increased the maximum prison sentence for gang membership from nine to 45 years.

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That came just days after the Central American country declared a state of emergency following a fresh wave of gang violence, with 87 reported deaths over the weekend.

There are more than 16,000 gang members jailed in El Salvador, where they only receive two meals a day.

The two main criminal groups, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18, have an estimated 70,000 members between them.

The new law states that “whomever takes part in an illicit group, association or organization … will be punished with 20 to 30 years in prison.”

For the gang “leaders” that sentence will be 40 to 45 years.

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Those sentences are up from three to five and six to nine years respectively.

The state of emergency, passed by lawmakers at Bukele’s request, expanded police powers and curtailed civil liberties.

The country registered 1,140 murders in 2021 — an average of 18 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants — a decline from the 1,341 registered the previous year and the lowest figure since the country’s civil war ended in 1992, according to official data.

Central America

Guatemala Court Voids List of Candidates for Top Prosecutor Position

President of Guatemala cannot remove attorney general from office

Constitutional Court of Guatemala on Thursday annulled the shortlist of six candidates for attorney general and head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, ordering authorities to repeat the evaluation phase of the selection process.

The ruling came in response to a legal appeal filed by Raúl Amílcar Falla Ovalle, who challenged the way professional experience had been assessed for some applicants, particularly those with careers in the judiciary.

As a result of the decision, the selection process has been suspended, and the Postulation Commission must return to the stage in which the original 48 applicants were evaluated.

According to the ruling, the commission must reapply the grading criteria without automatically counting years served as judges as equivalent to the professional experience required for the position.

“The Postulation Commission for the election of the Attorney General and Head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office is ordered to reassess the applicants by strictly applying the approved grading table,” the resolution states.

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The Constitutional Court also stressed that the process must guarantee merit, competence, and suitability, while ensuring greater transparency in the assignment of scores.

Central America

U.S. extradites Iranian man over alleged sanctions evasion scheme

The United States has extradited from Panama an Iranian national accused of evading economic sanctions against Iran by illegally exporting U.S. technology. He is scheduled to appear this Monday before a court in Seattle.

Reza Dindar, 44, was extradited on April 17 after being detained in Panama since July 2025 on charges related to export control violations between 2011 and 2012, allegedly carried out through companies based in China.

The defendant appeared before a U.S. district court in Seattle, where he faces charges of violating sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran in 1995 during the administration of Bill Clinton. These sanctions prohibit the unauthorized export, re-export, or supply—directly or indirectly—of U.S. goods, technology, or services to Iran or its government.

According to the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar led the company New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China, which allegedly concealed the procurement of U.S. products for shipment to clients in Iran.

Central America

Bukele administration surpasses 1,100 homicide-free days amid ongoing crackdown

El Salvador's PNC adds 85 days without murders and April is on track to be the safest in Salvadoran history

On Saturday, April 18, the Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) reported that no homicides were recorded in El Salvador, bringing the total to 17 days without murders.

With this update, the country has accumulated 91 homicide-free days so far in 2026. January closed with 27 such days, followed by 24 in February and 23 in March, according to police data.

During the administration of President Nayib Bukele, a total of 1,193 days without homicides have been registered. Of those, 1,079 have occurred since the implementation of the state of exception.

This extraordinary security measure has been extended 49 times by the Asamblea Legislativa de El Salvador, with the latest extension in effect from April 1 to April 30, 2026. Under the measure, more than 91,700 gang members and collaborators have been detained and prosecuted for illicit association.