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El Salvador has 20 days with zero homicides so far in February 2023

El Salvador has 20 days with zero homicides so far in February 2023
Photo: El Salvador Government

February 27 |

El Salvador has reached a total of 20 days with zero homicides so far this February, according to official data published by the National Civil Police (PNC) during the first hours of Monday.

Police records indicate that Sunday, February 26th ended with zero homicides in the whole Salvadoran territory, being the 20th day of this month with this positive record and the seventh in a row during the current week.

During the current month of February 2023 the days in which zero homicides have been registered in El Salvador, according to police data, are: 1, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 9, 9, 12, 12, 13, 14, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and this past Sunday 26.

With these records, El Salvador reaches the sum of 40 days without homicides between January 1 and February 24 of this year 2023. In addition, during the term of President Nayib Bukele, which began in June 2019, El Salvador adds a total of 312 days without counting deaths due to violence throughout the country.

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These achievements are attributed to the implementation of the Territorial Control Plan, a strategy to combat crime and criminality in El Salvador that began in 2019, and to the exception regime approved last March 27, 2022 and still in force throughout the Salvadoran territory.

In the framework of the exception regime, authorities have reported the capture of more than 64,000 active members and collaborators of gang groups throughout El Salvador, being a key strategy in the historic reduction of violence.

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Central America

Bukele urges Costa Rica to reform prison system amid rising crime rates

El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, recommended that Costa Rica toughen its prison system, describing it as too “permissive” after visiting a Costa Rican prison with his counterpart, Rodrigo Chaves, on Tuesday at the end of an official visit.

“We believe the prison system should be less permissive, focusing more on the rights of those outside and a country’s right to security,” Bukele said after touring the La Reforma prison, located 23 km east of San José.

During Bukele’s visit to Costa Rica, the two presidents discussed different security approaches and strategies to combat organized crime. They also signed memorandums of understanding on tourism, trade, and bilateral relations.

Bukele noted the contrasts between Costa Rica’s prison system and that of El Salvador, which he reformed as part of his “war” against gangs launched in March 2022 under a state of emergency allowing arrests without warrants.

The Salvadoran president pointed out Costa Rica’s high cost per inmate, which he estimated at around $1,200 per month.

“They are spending nearly two minimum wages per inmate. It’s an injustice,” Bukele stated, adding that Costa Rica’s penal system “needs reform.”

Regarding inmate rights, Bukele suggested limiting intimate visits and TV access to prevent prisons from becoming “headquarters for crime.”

“We hope you take the necessary measures,” Bukele said about the increase in crime in Costa Rica, which has seen 757 homicides in 2024, mostly related to drug trafficking.

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Central America

El Salvador delivers aid to Costa Rica amid severe flooding and red alerts

Costa Rica raised alert levels on Tuesday due to ongoing heavy rains that are expected to continue throughout the week. So far, flooding has forced 1,369 people into shelters, and the country is receiving humanitarian aid from El Salvador in response to the emergency.

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) declared a red alert (the highest level) for the provinces of Guanacaste and Puntarenas along the Pacific coast, and an orange alert (high level) for the rest of the country, except for Limón province (Caribbean), which is under a yellow alert (intermediate level).

The CNE reported that the rainy pattern is expected to persist throughout the week. The National Meteorological Institute (IMN) is also monitoring tropical wave number 46, which has a high potential to develop into a tropical cyclone over the Caribbean Sea in the next seven days.

“Rainfall is expected to continue over the coming days, especially along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. Additionally, there is a high saturation of soil across much of the country, creating significant vulnerability to incidents like flooding and landslides,” explained the CNE.

El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, who is wrapping up a two-day visit to Costa Rica on Tuesday, announced on Monday the dispatch of a plane carrying humanitarian aid. Originally, the aid was intended for flood victims in Valencia, Spain, affected by a recent storm.

Bukele explained on Tuesday that Spain is currently not accepting international aid, so he decided to redirect the shipment to Costa Rica, splitting it across three smaller planes, with an additional 20 trucks carrying 400 tons of aid set to arrive in the coming days.

On Tuesday, planes carrying humanitarian aid arrived in Costa Rica, as confirmed by both governments.

“We have sent aid missions to Turkey, and we intended to send one to Spain, but the government there did not accept international assistance—not just from us, but from anyone. We were surprised at how swiftly the Costa Rican government acted,” Bukele stated on Tuesday.

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Central America

Nicaraguan Naval Force seizes cocaine on Pacific Coast, suspects escape

The Nicaraguan Army’s Naval Force reported on Tuesday the seizure of two bundles containing 80 packages of cocaine along the Pacific coast, although none of the four suspects were apprehended.

The illicit substance was seized near the Quizalá beach, in the municipality of San Rafael del Sur, Managua department. According to the military report, the four suspects “fled, leaving the drugs behind” after “detecting the presence of Army troops.”

The two “red bundles (…) contained 80 rectangular packages of cocaine,” the Nicaraguan Army stated.

The operation was conducted by the First Naval Troop Battalion “Commander Richard Lugo Kautz,” part of the Naval Force.

Authorities did not provide details on the individuals connected to the drug haul or the weight of the cocaine seized. They confirmed that the drugs were handed over to the relevant authorities for legal proceedings.

Nicaraguan authorities emphasize that they are implementing a strategy called the ‘Containment Wall,’ aimed at preventing the movement of drugs or drug-related money into populated areas. They maintain “close cooperation” with regional countries as well as the United States, Mexico, and Russia.

Nicaragua is located along a major drug trafficking corridor from South America to North America, where Mexican cartels operate, and the primary consumers are located.

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