In El Salvador, members of the notorious and bloody criminal gang - Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) - received historically harsh prison sentences. The most severe sentence was 1,335 years. This was reported by The Guardian.
According to the Prosecutor General's Office, 248 members of the criminal group were found guilty of 43 murders, 42 cases of missing persons, and other serious crimes and received "exemplary punishment." One of the members of MS-13 was sentenced to 1,335 years in prison, and another 10 people were sentenced to 463 to 958 years in prison. It is not specified when the court decisions were made and whether the proceedings were held openly.
Since March 2022, a state of emergency has been introduced under the leadership of Naib Bukele, and a fierce fight against criminal gangs has begun. Within the framework of this policy, the arrest of gang members without a court order is permitted. To date, more than 90 thousand people have been detained, of which about 8 thousand have been found innocent and released.
According to official data, Bukele's strict policy led to a sharp decrease in the number of murders in the country. However, international human rights organizations note instances of law violations and human rights infringements by security forces.
According to the Salvadoran government, the second largest gang, MS-13 and Barrio-18, has claimed the lives of nearly 200,000 people over the past three decades. At one time, these two groups controlled approximately 80% of the country's territory, and El Salvador was considered one of the countries with the highest murder rates in the world.
The Prosecutor General's Office stated that the gang members demanded money from entrepreneurs under the pretext of "protection" and resorted to threats and violence when they were denied. Some business owners were forced to cease operations due to fear.
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