The resident coordinator of the United Nations in El Salvador and Belize, Birgit Gerstenberg, said today that the UN respects the Salvadoran government’s decision to apply the state of emergency as a measure to combat gangs.
«The state of exception is a government measure that we do not judge. Each government imposes these measures according to its judgment », she expressed.
In addition, she recalled that social violence in El Salvador has been a historical problem that has generated cultural and social patterns. Given this, she described the emergency regime as a measure to «end the dominance of gangs in social life, in the security of the country, in the lives of people, and in communities.»
«We are very sympathetic to the intention [of curbing delinquency carried out by gangs]. It is not acceptable that people’s lives are taken by these really criminal groups. A lot of damage was done to the country,» she added.
Likewise, she expressed the hope that the UN has that new initiatives will emerge from the emergency regime to stop the violence.
«We want to express our hope that from this state of exception, deeper policies will emerge that address violence in the family, against women, and social relations. Let there be a fight against violence from its roots », she said.
Gerstenberg assured that «there is a very good will on the part of the population and the government to use the emergency regime as an opportunity»
«That is, trying to get up with a new spirit, and we hope that it will be possible with the end of the exceptional regime. To go to very deep measures with the young people who at this moment suffer, in principle, a very important neglect of society », she detailed.
According to the UN coordinator, building a path towards social security implies «many challenges but also great opportunities.»
«But we want to work so that opportunities are especially seen and so that the situations that are problematic are corrected, but I think that the government already has that awareness and we respect that,» she added.