Relatives of prisoners detained in El Salvador’s anti-gang campaign marched through the capital on Sunday to reject plans for mass trials. They say the proceedings will convict innocent people alongside actual gang members. More than 100 demonstrators gathered in a plaza in northern San Salvador and walked to the central cathedral. They carried signs and shouted slogans such as “We defend the innocent, not criminals!” and “No to mass trials, yes to due process!”
Samuel Ramírez, leader of the Movement of Victims of the State of Emergency (Movir), said the government wants to convict people for crimes they did not commit. “They want to convict innocent people for crimes they didn’t commit. For crimes committed by a gang,” Ramírez stated.
Attorney Félix López, whose son has been in prison for a year, called the approach a violation of due process. “Holding mass trials is convicting the innocent along with the guilty, and it disrespects the guarantees of due process,” López said. He added that authorities should handle each case individually and insisted his son is innocent.
The Prosecutor’s Office intends to file around 3,000 indictments in the coming months against alleged gang members and try them in large groups. Human rights organizations warn that this method will lead to the conviction of thousands who have no connection to gangs. Since March 2022, when the government declared the state of emergency, authorities have detained about 90,000 people. The measure allows arrests without judicial warrants and remains in effect through repeated extensions.
The campaign has reduced homicides to record lows and made President Nayib Bukele highly popular. At the same time, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have criticized the detentions for bypassing normal legal protections. Ana Rodríguez, a 58-year-old homemaker, joined the march to demand the release of her son and daughter-in-law. She described them as part of the “margin of error” in the broad anti-gang operation.
The demonstrators completed their march without any reported incidents. The protest reflects ongoing concerns among families who believe many detainees were arrested without evidence and now face the prospect of collective trials that do not examine individual cases.
