With the implementation of the Territorial Control Plan, the government of the president, Nayib Bukele, has managed to close 2021 as the least violent year in the last five decades, achieving a historical record of 1,140 homicides, which represents 15% fewer cases than reported in 2020, with a total of 1,341 and a reduction of 83% from the maximum number registered in 2015, 6,656 homicides.
“The data are very positive, one of the safest years in the recent history of our country was achieved since this data is recorded and we see that the previous year, 2020 had been the safest year and 2021 it it exceeded, that is, we are becoming more efficient, each time we are achieving better results” — said Defense Minister Francis Merino Monroy.
Behind these figures are the alarming statistics of homicides registered during the FMLN governments, in which one of the most violent years in the history of El Salvador was reported, 2015, which closed with 6,656 homicides, and 2016 with 5,280.
“We have data. For example, from the year 2015, there is a record of 6,656 homicides. That year in the month of August, there were 918 homicides. Only in August, there were almost the same number of homicides that were registered all of last year and there was a day, August 27, of that year 2015, when 51 homicides were registered,” —said the minister.
He added that the average number of daily homicides closed at 3.1 last year. “It is still unfortunate because we do not want there to be homicides, but we are making our effort to reduce the number,” — said Merino Monroy.