EL SALVADOR’S government may be guilty of crimes against humanity, according to a damning new report.

Published on Wednesday, the report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) says the “state of exception” imposed by far-right President Nayib Bukele since March 2022 has enabled practices that may violate international legal standards. 

The document “concludes that there are reasonable grounds to believe that, within the framework of the state of exception, crimes against humanity are being committed in accordance with article seven of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).”
 

It also says the cases investigated by the commission “indicate the existence of a policy of police and military conduct, known and promoted even by the highest authorities of the government.”

During a hearing carried out by the IACHR, Leonor Arteaga of the Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF), a Washington-based organisation, said: “El Salvador has been presented as an example of success in reducing crime. However, victims, civil society organisations and journalists have experienced first hand the high costs of this publicised success.

“Arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, massive violations of due process and acts of torture have become systematic practices in the country.

“Today, many Salvadorans have stopped fearing gangs, only to begin fearing the state itself.”