El Salvador’s Bukele puts conditions on early release of gang prisoners

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has clarified that possible early releases for people detained in his anti-gang crackdown would only cover about 10,000 suspects who allegedly helped the criminal groups on occasion, not actual members.

Bukele on Tuesday unveiled a plan for early releases that he said “that would benefit more or less 50% of prisoners in El Salvador who collaborated with gangs.”

More than 90,000 suspected gang members have been arrested in the Central American country since Bukele declared a state of emergency in 2022.

But in response to an AFP request for clarification, Bukele said Friday the early release plan would cover roughly 10,000 people identified as occasional gang associates, but who did not formally belong to gangs.

“We are going to review the cases of those 10,000 or so people, and based on a preliminary review, we believe about 50 percent could enter the ‘Zero Idleness’ program so they can get out sooner,” he said.

“No gang member is going to be freed. Ever,” Bukele said at a press conference alongside Costa Rican President Laura Fernandez, who was visiting El Salvador.

“No one in the history of humanity, in any country, has achieved what we have achieved,” said Bukele, an ally of US President Donald Trump.

Bukele first revealed his plan Tuesday when asked about statements by his brother, Ibrajim Bukele, who said a “commission” was reviewing the cases of people detained in the crackdown.

The state of emergency established by Bukele has slashed crime rates to record lows, but rights groups have denounced abuses including arbitrary detentions, torture and deaths in custody.

According to an Amnesty International tally, hundreds of people have died in custody.