This Sunday, April 24, extraordinary plenary session number seven was held by the Salvadoran Congress at the request of President Nayib Bukele to extend the emergency regime for another 30 days. The initiative was approved with 67 votes in favor by the congressmen.
During the emergency regime approved on March 27 due to the rise in homicides that occurred on the 25th of the same month, the National Civil Police and the Armed Forces had the necessary powers to combat the gangs, of which more than 16,000 captured terrorists belong to said criminal structures.
During the extraordinary plenary session this Sunday, the Defense Minister, René Francis Merino Monroy, the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Gustavo Villatoro, and the General Director of the National Civil Police, Mauricio Arriaza Chicas, received a standing ovation from the Salvadoran Congress to recognize the articulated work being carried out by the Security Cabinet to combat gangs.
«This day I want to speak on behalf of Doña María, who lost her life four years ago. Her only sin was that she couldn’t pay the rent to the gang members because she was just a lady who sold French bread. When she told them that she could not continue paying the extortion, they murdered her» — said Deputy Alexia Rivas to explain the situation to which thousands of Salvadorans have been subjected for decades due to the threat of criminal structures.
«About three weeks ago, those criminals were captured, and their 85-year-old friends celebrated the courage that this government is definitely caring about their families» — said deputy Rivas about the case.
Deputy Rivas highlighted the absence of the deputies from the ARENA caucus, saying: «We understand that they did not work from Monday to Friday, and much less will they do so on a Sunday when they are resting.» — She also highlighted the presence of the congresspeople from the cyan caucus at the call of President Nayib Bukele and the president of the Salvadoran Congress, Ernesto Castro.
On the other hand, President Bukele highlighted the statements of deputy Numan Salgado, who referred to the opposition during the extraordinary plenary session, saying: «The opposition has already made its numbers, 70,000 gang members for four relatives of each of them, means 280,000 votes for the next elections. That is what the opposition is betting on, to seek those blood votes»