Politics · Other · 3 hrs ago
Bukele considers earlier release for some Salvadoran gang collaborators
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele is considering earlier release for some people jailed over gang-related acts.
He said the possible beneficiaries were people who did occasional favors for gangs but were not members of their structures.
One account says about 10,000 people could qualify, while another says around half of detainees could benefit; Bukele denied proposing to release half of all prisoners.
The possible releases would not be pardons, and people would remain considered guilty, with measures based on their level of involvement.
The proposal comes after a state of emergency introduced in March 2022 allowed arrests without judicial warrants and led to more than 93,000 people being jailed.
Human rights groups have raised concerns about arbitrary arrests and deaths in custody, while the government says its crackdown sharply reduced killings.
The government has not given a start date, and the cases would be reviewed before any release.
El presidente Nayib Bukele dijo que El Salvador estudia permitir que algunos presos condenados por colaborar con pandillas salgan antes de cumplir sus sentences.
The plan would apply to people whose involvement was limited and would not release gang members, Bukele said.
The possible beneficiaries would remain convicted and could face supervised release or other measures, depending on their level of involvement.
Bukele gave differing accounts of the proposed program: one report said it could benefit about half of prisoners who collaborated with gangs, while another said it could cover around 10,000 young people.
The proposal concerns people detained under a state of exception in force since March 2022, which has led to more than 93,000 arrests, according to Perfil.
- Who
- President Nayib Bukele announced the proposal. Potential beneficiaries are prisoners who collaborated with gangs but were not gang members.
- What
- The government is considering earlier release or reduced time in prison for some people convicted of lesser collaboration.
- When
- Bukele announced the proposal in October 2026. The start date for releases was not stated.
- Where
- El Salvador.
- Why
- Bukele said people had different levels of involvement in gang crimes. Other reasons for the proposal were not stated by him.
Bukele’s government
Human rights organizations and critics
Eligibility
Bukele’s government
The proposal is for people with limited involvement who are not gang members; Bukele said no gang member would be released.
Human rights organizations and critics
Critics say the authorities must account for people forced to collaborate and for possible innocent detainees.
Assessment of detentions
Bukele’s government
Bukele said potential beneficiaries would remain guilty of crimes, though some were less serious.
Human rights organizations and critics
Critics point to arbitrary arrests and people who may have been detained despite not being guilty.
Security policy
Bukele’s government
Bukele defended his approach as the world’s best plan to fight crime.
Human rights organizations and critics
Human rights organizations have criticized the crackdown and reported deaths in custody.
El Salvador’s state of exception took effect, allowing arrests without judicial warrants.
RFI published a report on Bukele’s clarification that early release would concern casual gang collaborators.
Perfil reported that Bukele was considering early release for around 10,000 young people who had made occasional favors for gangs.
El Confidencial reported that Bukele had proposed a supervised conditional-release program that could benefit about half of prisoners who collaborated with gangs.
- Potential beneficiaries
- About 10,000 young people, according to Perfil
- Possible share
- About 50% of prisoners who collaborated with gangs, according to El Confidencial
- Gang members
- Bukele said none would be released
- State of exception
- In force since March 2022
- Arrests
- More than 93,000 people, according to Perfil
3 sources
What people are saying
Ningún pandillero va a salir libre. Nunca
el mejor plan de combate al crimen del mundo
no tendría el mismo nivel de colaboración quien ayudó a enterrar un cadáver en comparación con el muchacho que lo ponía en la orilla (acera) y él avisaba cuando venía la policía