The humanitarian organization Socorro Jurídico Humanitario (SJH) launched a campaign on October 2, 2024, titled 'Proof of Life' to ascertain the status of individuals allegedly detained arbitrarily in El Salvador. This initiative arises from the government's ongoing state of emergency aimed at combating gang violence.
SJH highlighted the complete lack of communication regarding the detainees' conditions and urged judges to mandate medical examinations by the Institute of Legal Medicine for those in prisons. The organization, which provides legal assistance to families of detainees, reported that some released individuals have been found gravely ill, suffering from chronic and irreversible renal failure.
The state of emergency, which suspends constitutional guarantees, was enacted following the deaths of over 80 individuals in a single weekend in March 2022. Investigations suggest these killings resulted from a breakdown in an agreement between the government of Nayib Bukele and criminal gangs.
With over 81,900 arrests made under this regime, it has become the government's primary strategy against gangs, contributing to Bukele's immediate re-election despite constitutional prohibitions. Human rights organizations have recorded more than 6,400 complaints of violations, primarily concerning arbitrary detentions and torture, with over 300 reported deaths in state custody, many showing signs of violence.