Central America
Territorial Control Plan of the Salvadoran Government is four years old
June 20 |
President Nayib Bukele’s successful security strategy, through the Territorial Control Plan (PCT), has been implemented for four years with irrefutable results and benefits for the honest population that for many years was under the stalking of terrorist structures.
The sustained drop in homicides, the drastic reduction of extortions, disappearances, forced displacements, robberies and other high impact crimes are proof of the results of the security plan implemented by the Salvadoran president since June 20 when he launched Phase I of the PCT called Preparation, in which police presence in the communities was increased with patrols in areas of high crime incidence.
On the occasion of the four-year anniversary, the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Gustavo Villatoro, stated that what seemed impossible has become a reality in El Salvador. “As President Nayib Bukele has already said, we regained control of Salvadoran territory, our country left the list of the most dangerous countries in the world, we have returned true freedom, hope, peace and joy to millions of Salvadorans”.
He added that in four years of implementation of the PCT they have achieved unprecedented results and that is why they continue to work for the honest population.
With the implementation of the first stage of the plan, the decrease in high incidence crimes was evident and by July 2, 2019 the authorities implemented Phase 2 known as Opportunities with which 12 CUBOs have been built in which opportunities are generated for young women and the social fabric is rebuilt.
On July 30 of the same year, Phase 3, known as Modernization, was launched, which consists of dignifying the police career, improving the equipment of the PNC and providing the Armed Forces with new equipment. On July 19, 2021, Phase 4, known as Incursion, was implemented, in which police and military teams entered the territories to eradicate criminal groups; there was also the incorporation of new members in the PNC and FAES.
To reinforce the PCT and to eradicate the different terrorist organizations, the Head of State and his Security Cabinet implemented the Exception Regime, which further reduced the homicide rate and other illegal activities. Between March 27, 2022 and June 20 of this year, more than 70,000 gang members were arrested and 380 days without homicides were recorded.
Phase 5 called Extraction was launched on November 23, 2022 and military and police fences were established for a total recovery of the territories, order was restored and vulnerable communities were reactivated.
Central America
Nicaragua’s Ortega and Murillo Mourn Pope Francis, Acknowledge ‘Difficult’ Relationship
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, who also serve as co-leaders of the country, expressed their condolences on Monday following the death of Pope Francis, acknowledging that their relationship with the late pontiff had been “difficult” and “troubled.” Nicaragua officially suspended diplomatic ties with the Vatican during his papacy.
“Our relationship, as Nicaraguans who are believers, devoted and faithful to the doctrine of Christ Jesus, was difficult and troubled—unfortunately shaped by adverse and painful circumstances that were not always understood,” Ortega and Murillo wrote in a message of condolence.
“Despite the complexity and hardships, despite the manipulation we all know occurred, despite everything, we kept our hope alive through Christian faith,” they continued. “We understood the distance, and above all, the complicated and strained communication that prevented better relations. We also recognized the confusion caused by strident voices that disrupted any attempt at genuine interaction.”
Pope Francis had previously compared the Ortega regime to communist dictatorships and even to Hitler, a remark that further strained relations between Managua and the Holy See.
Central America
Cardinal Rodríguez to Attend Funeral of Pope Francis: “He Was Very Dear to Me”
Honduran Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez announced on Monday that he will attend the funeral services of Pope Francis, who passed away at the age of 88 at his residence in Casa Santa Marta due to a stroke.
“We will be there throughout the novena and then, God willing, at the burial,” Rodríguez said in a phone interview with HRN Radio in Tegucigalpa, apparently calling from Spain.
He added that the last time he saw Pope Francis was in October 2024, during and at the end of that year’s synod, and that they remained in contact through email. “Sometimes, the Pope would even call me,” said Rodríguez, who was born on December 29, 1942, and was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II on February 21, 2001.
Rodríguez expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Pope Francis, saying: “He was a very dear person to me.”
However, he also shared a message of hope, pointing out that the Holy Father passed away during Easter: “This is a sign. He gave his life completely like the Lord Jesus, and though he died, we believe in faith that he has risen, now with Christ in eternal life.”
Rodríguez, who for ten years coordinated the Vatican’s Council of Cardinals, was one of the eight cardinals selected by Pope Francis to help govern the Catholic Church and reform the Roman Curia.
In January 2023, upon turning 80, Rodríguez stepped down as Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, and Pope Francis appointed Spanish priest José Vicente Nácher Tatay as his successor.
Central America
Senator Van Hollen Meets with Deported MS-13 Member in El Salvador; Trump and Bukele React
U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, representing the state of Maryland, held a meeting in El Salvador with deported MS-13 gang member Kilmar Ábrego García, a member of the criminal group classified by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization.
“Kilmar Ábrego García, miraculously resurrected from the ‘extermination camps’ and ‘torture chambers,’ now sipping margaritas with Senator Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!” wrote President Nayib Bukeleon X (formerly Twitter), sharing photos of Van Hollen, Ábrego García, and a lawyer sitting together at a Salvadoran hotel.
The deported gang member is seen wearing a plaid shirt and a flat-brimmed cap, seated at a table with glasses and coffee cups. The senator also shared images of the meeting on his own social media accounts.
Bukele reaffirmed that Ábrego will remain in El Salvador and will not be returned to the United States.
“Now that his health has been confirmed, he has earned the honor of remaining under the custody of El Salvador,” Bukele added.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the senator’s meeting with Ábrego on Truth Social, calling Van Hollen “a fool” for advocating for Ábrego’s return to the U.S.
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