A total of 14 people were killed on Friday and 62 on Saturday in a wave of violence invisible for years, which effectively left street gangs in control of many neighborhoods in the capital, San Salvador. National police believed the killings were the work of some of the country’s most notorious street gangs and arrested five leaders of the Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13. The Central American country approved the request of President Najib Boukele for a state of emergency on Sunday. The decree would suspend constitutional guarantees of freedom of assembly and loosen arrest rules for up to 30 days, but could be extended. While Mr. Bukele has tried to show a tough stance on crime, the country’s extremely powerful street gangs have proved to be a double-edged sword for him. Read more: El Salvador allows “lethal force” to suppress gangs Image: El Salvador President Nayib Bukele says he is tough on crime A December report by the US Treasury Department claimed that Mr. Bukele’s government had secretly negotiated a truce with some gang leaders – a claim it denied and escalated tensions between the two nations. The report claims that Mr. Bukele’s government bought the gang support with financial benefits and privileges for their imprisoned leaders, including prostitutes and cell phones. As a result, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced that it will transfer aid from government agencies in El Salvador to non-governmental organizations. Image: The extraordinary session of the Congress where the Assembly issued the state of emergency The explosive allegations hit the heart of one of Mr Bukele’s most notorious successes in power: a dip in the country’s homicide rate. However, Mr Bukele is still extremely popular. He entered a political vacuum left by discredited traditional parties on the left and right, and made headlines last year with his commitment to building a “Bitcoin City” at the base of a volcano.
