Prisoners Mobilized to Erase Gang Traces
National Emergency Declared in March Due to Crime Surge
On the 1st (local time), an inmate was breaking the tombstone of the 'MS-13' gang at the Santa Tecla Cemetery in El Salvador. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Sung-wook] El Salvador, a Central American country engaged in a war against gangs (violent organizations), has begun dismantling the tombstones of gang members in gang cemeteries. El Salvador declared a national state of emergency last March due to a surge in gang-related crimes.
According to foreign media on the 3rd (local time), El Salvador's correctional authorities are mobilizing inmates to remove tombstones in various gang cemeteries nationwide to make it impossible to identify the deceased. This operation is reported to be aimed at erasing traces of the gangs. On the 1st, inmates used hammers, crowbars, and equipment for destroying concrete and bricks to remove about 80 tombstones of Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang members from cemeteries in Santa Tecla, La Libertad Province near the capital San Salvador, and in Col?n.
'MS-13' is a notorious criminal organization that the El Salvador government is conducting a large-scale crackdown against. The group was formed in the 1980s by immigrants who moved to Los Angeles, USA, and operates throughout North and Central America, including the United States. They have committed brutal crimes such as murder, corpse desecration, kidnapping, and human trafficking using machetes (jungle knives). The U.S. government designated them as a "transnational criminal organization" in 2012.
El Salvador has been plagued by violent crimes, including 62 murders per day, due to gangs such as 'MS-13' and 'Barrio 18.' In response, President Nayib Bukele has deployed the military and adopted a tough stance. The El Salvador government declared a national state of emergency last March to crack down on widespread violence. Since then, the legislature has extended the state of emergency seven times to date. Additionally, gang members can be detained without a warrant, and joining a gang alone can result in a heavy sentence. It is reported that about 56,000 people have been arrested on gang-related charges recently. Osiris Luna Mesa, Deputy Minister of Justice, said regarding the removal of tombstones, "No gang member deserves recognition, so we are eliminating their graves," adding, "We will make sure gangs have no place to stand in this country."
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