El Salvador’s legislature on Thursday passed a bill permitting courts to impose life sentences on minors convicted of rape, murder, or terrorism, marking the latest move in President Nayib Bukele’s aggressive campaign against gangs.
Bukele, who has dubbed himself the “world’s coolest dictator,” has overseen mass arrests of suspected gang members, filling the country’s prisons and drawing international criticism over alleged human rights abuses.
Earlier this month, a constitutional reform authorized life imprisonment for “murderers, rapists and terrorists,” raising the maximum sentence from the previous limit of 60 years.
Bukele had advocated extending the measure to children under 18, regardless of gang affiliation.
“We have given Salvadoran families the reassurance that none of these criminals will ever see the light of day again,” said Ernesto Castro, president of the assembly and a member of the ruling party.
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Under a state of emergency declared in 2022, more than 90,000 people have been detained, often without warrants, on suspicion of gang involvement.
About 8,000 of those arrested were later released after being found innocent.
One controversial aspect of the crackdown allows individuals accused of gang membership to be placed in adult prisons, a measure that has contributed to a significant drop in homicide rates but also sparked widespread concerns over due process and human rights violations.
Francisco Lira, a deputy from the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (Arena), warned that “thousands” of Salvadorans remain “waiting for a fair trial” and said that “good people are paying for something they did not do.”
Ahead of the vote, Lira displayed a sign on the assembly floor reading: “In favour of the penalty, but without twisting the Constitution.”