First images of gang members in new mega prison in Latin America | Abroad

El Salvador: The country – sandwiched between Guatemala and Honduras in Central America – may not capture everyone’s imagination. Although it offers a magical mix of colonial architecture, national parks and beautiful volcanoes. Heavenly, but at the same time a hell on earth for many. Last year, Salvadoran President Bukele declared a state of emergency in an attempt to put an end to gang violence. Since then, more than 64,000 suspected gang members have been arrested.

Of course, the authorities have to put those thousands of detainees somewhere. That is why the government had a mega prison built. That complex – more than seventy kilometers from the capital San Salvador – is to house 40,000 prisoners and help the president in his ‘war on crime’. Bukele speaks of the largest prison in both North and South America.

The prison was officially inaugurated by the president himself at the beginning of this month. The complex was built in just seven months. The government does not comment on the construction, costs and other details such as maintenance. At least more than 800 employees must guard order. A wall more than 2 kilometers long and 11 meters high – including electrified barbed wire – is to prevent prisoners from escaping.

Last week, the first 2,000 prisoners were brought in. “This is their new home, where they will live together for decades without further harm to the people,” the president tweeted.

Images that Bukele shares on Twitter show hundreds of barefoot men being taken by bus to the new cell complex at Tecoluca. “We are eliminating cancer from society,” writes Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro in the video montage. The cell complex consists of eight concrete buildings, each with 32 cells and an area of ​​100 square meters. According to the authorities, there is room for more than 100 prisoners per cell. In each cell there are two sinks and two toilets and eighty sleeping places in the form of bunk beds.

There is a lot of international criticism of Bukele’s draconian approach. Arrest warrants are no longer required to arrest gang members and detainees are not automatically entitled to a lawyer. That is why his country is heavily criticized by human rights organizations and the United Nations. Salvadoran media regularly report arbitrary detentions. In our own country, Bukele is still as popular as ever among the 6.8 million inhabitants.