El Salvador’s ongoing state of emergency, declared in March 2022 to combat gang violence, has resulted in a dramatic reduction in homicides but has simultaneously unleashed widespread human rights abuses by security forces. Interviews with police officers, internal documents, and reports by Human Rights Watch (HRW), Cristosal, Amnesty International, and other organizations reveal a disturbing pattern of arbitrary arrests, torture, extortion, and impunity. This analysis synthesizes all available information, statistics, and statements from stakeholders to provide a detailed understanding of the crisis, its causes, and its implications.
The State of Emergency and Its Impact on Security and Rights
In response to a surge in gang-related violence, El Salvador’s government declared a state of emergency in March 2022, suspending constitutional rights including due process, freedom of association, and privacy. Since then, the state of emergency has been extended 30 times, effectively institutionalizing emergency rule. The government justifies these measures as necessary to restore public security, boasting a significant decline in homicides and gang activity.
However, the security gains have come at a grave cost. Over 81,000 people have been arrested under the state of emergency, including more than 3,000 children. The prison population has swollen to approximately 108,000 inmates, exceeding capacity by 38,000, with overcrowded and inhumane conditions. At least 261 detainees have died in custody since the emergency began.
Arbitrary Detentions and Quotas: Police Officers Speak Out
Human Rights Watch’s June 2025 report reveals firsthand accounts from police officers describing a coercive system driven by arrest quotas imposed by commanders. Officers reported that many arrests were arbitrary, based on tattoos, anonymous tips, or fabricated evidence rather than credible proof of gang involvement.
One officer explained that
“Many arrests during the ongoing ‘war against gangs’ were the result of pressure on police officers to meet daily arrest quotas and were based on dubious or fabricated evidence”.
Another described how uncorroborated anonymous calls or mere physical appearance, such as gang-related tattoos, were sufficient grounds for detention.
This quota system incentivizes mass arrests without due process, leading to the detention of innocent people and widespread abuses. Some officers admitted to fabricating police reports or evidence to fulfill quotas. The culture of impunity also fosters extortion, with some officers demanding bribes or sexual favors to release detainees or their relatives.
Torture, Ill-Treatment, and Deaths in Custody
The abuses extend beyond arbitrary arrest. Detainees face torture and ill-treatment, including beatings, sexual violence, forced nudity, sleep deprivation, and denial of food and medical care. Overcrowding exacerbates these conditions, with some detainees held in cells with hundreds of others.
A detainee recounted being beaten for an hour with batons and placed in a dark cell with 320 inmates where daily beatings occurred. Women and girls have been subjected to sexual violence by both guards and other detainees. These practices violate international human rights standards and constitute crimes under international law.
Cristosal, a Salvadoran human rights organization, reported at least 261 deaths in custody since the state of emergency began. Despite this, Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado announced the closure of 142 investigations into deaths in custody by June 2023, signaling a lack of accountability.
Impact on Children and Juvenile Justice
One of the most alarming aspects of the crackdown is its impact on children and adolescents. Since the state of emergency, over 3,000 children have been detained, often in indiscriminate sweeps targeting low-income neighborhoods. Children have been held in adult detention centers, denied access to lawyers and family, and subjected to overcrowding, beatings, and sexual violence.
Legal reforms passed in 2022 increased maximum prison sentences for “unlawful association” to 10 years for children aged 12 to 15 and up to 20 years for those aged 16 to 18. These laws have led to harsh, punitive treatment of minors, violating international juvenile justice standards.
Juanita Goebertus, HRW’s Americas Director, warned that
“the government’s harsh targeting of children risks perpetuating the cycle of violence in El Salvador” and urged the government to implement rehabilitation and reintegration programs instead of mass incarceration.
Judicial Independence and Impunity
Since President Nayib Bukele took office in 2019, the government has systematically dismantled judicial independence. The attorney general and all judges in the Supreme Court’s constitutional chamber were replaced, and prosecutors and judges investigating abuses face intimidation.
This erosion of judicial independence has enabled impunity. No police or military personnel have been charged or convicted for abuses committed during the state of emergency. Investigations into deaths in custody are routinely closed without action, and enforced disappearances remain uninvestigated.
International and Civil Society Responses
Human rights organizations including HRW, Amnesty International, Cristosal, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) have condemned the abuses and called for an end to the state of emergency. The IACHR’s September 2024 report described “widespread and systematic human rights violations” and urged authorities to restore constitutional order.
Amnesty International’s Americas Director Ana Piquer criticized recent legislative reforms as institutionalizing repression and violating international human rights standards, stating, “Emergency rule is no longer a temporary measure, but a permanent government strategy” (Amnesty International, 2025).
Despite repeated calls, the Salvadoran government rejected a UN Working Group request to investigate enforced disappearances in January 2025 and continues to extend the state of emergency.
The Human Rights Crisis Amid Security Gains
El Salvador’s state of emergency has undeniably reduced gang violence and homicides, but the security gains have been achieved through mass human rights violations. Arbitrary arrests, torture, deaths in custody, and the criminalization of children undermine the rule of law and fuel social instability.
As police officers themselves reveal, the system prioritizes meeting arrest quotas over justice and due process, creating a climate of fear and abuse. The lack of accountability and judicial independence compounds these problems, allowing abuses to continue unchecked.
Toward a Rights-Based Security Approach
The crisis in El Salvador demonstrates the dangers of sacrificing human rights for security. While combating gang violence is a legitimate state objective, it must not come at the expense of fundamental freedoms and protections.
“Salvadoran security forces have battered vulnerable communities with widespread human rights violations in the name of public safety,”
said Juanita Goebertus, HRW Americas Director. She emphasized the need for “an effective and rights-respective security policy that grants Salvadorans the safety they so dearly deserve” (HRW, 2025).
Ending the state of emergency, restoring judicial independence, holding security forces accountable, and implementing rehabilitative programs for youth are essential steps toward sustainable peace and justice in El Salvador.
