While the authorities continue to apply the plan, which together with the state of emergency has managed to bring the homicide rate down to 7.8 per 100,000 people, there are sectors that claim a decrease in law enforcement targeting the population, especially minors. Income.
In the municipality of Soyapango, where a military siege has been underway for 44 days, which the authorities say is phase five of the PCT (Extraction), investigations by human rights groups such as Cristosal show a high frequency of operations by the National Civil Police (PNC) and army against local residents, who own small businesses.
Rina Montti, director of research at Cristosal, said the actions “focus on people with small businesses” who are being harassed.
The activist said that early in the emergency regime it was common to see cases of people who owned pupuserías, or small businesses, being captured and accused of belonging to gang structures.
A survey conducted by Cristosal among Soyapango residents about the military fence that has been erected for more than a month showed that dissatisfaction is growing among community residents who have been arrested on public roads or on public or private transport.
Some said the PNC or members of the El Salvador Armed Forces (FAES) arrested them and violently searched them.
The NGO’s research showed that 64.7 percent believed that the government should take other measures to solve the problem of insecurity and violence than precisely restricting the movement of the population.
According to experts consulted by media and organizations working to defend human rights, military sieges are illegal and hit citizens in the weakest condition; however, many polls show widespread support for the government and for these measures to eradicate gang violence.
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