the State Departments webpage on security for, U.S. victims U.S. Citizens with emergencies, please call (503) 2501-2999, Outside of Office Hours, contact: (503) 2501-2999, Outside of El Salvador: (301) 985-8840 x 2999, The Presidents of the North Triangle met with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in Washington, DC to discuss the Partnership for Prosperity Plan. In Most theft cases reported to the Embassy involve the loss of a U.S. passport during a surreptitious theft of bags, backpacks, or purses. routinely recommended immunizations for the U.S. should be up to date. WebBy the end of the year, there were more than 94,000 people detained in the country, despite the fact that the holding capacity of the countrys prisons, as of February 2021, was Persons with disabilities do not have access to education, health services, public buildings, or transportation on an equal basis with others. assessed to have an obvious life-threatening emergency. (Priority Recent regulatory changes that established price limits for pharmaceuticals may affect quality and availability of certain medicines. insurance valid for El Salvador, including coverage for medical evacuation Nongovernmental Impact:APES noted journalists who reported on gangs and narcotics trafficking were subject to kidnappings, threats, and intimidation. News media occasionally The law provides that employers must pay double time for work on designated annual holidays, a Christmas bonus based on the time of service of the employee, and 15 days of paid annual leave. In July, OAS representatives stated they offered Muyshondt an honorary contract but did not formally hire him and that the contract was never signed. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. to the 1988 United Nations Drug Convention. Armed robberies accounted for 27% of all reported property At times, individuals pose as delivery people or Beginning in June 2020, the government withheld funding to the municipalities through the Social Development Fund, citing lack of funds due to the pandemic. Crimes against the person (e.g. Privately Neighbors called police when they heard Palomo's screams on the night of May 7 as she fled the home only to be overtaken by Osorio, who allegedly hit her in the head with a metal pipe and dragged her back inside. Most unions functioned independently from the government and political parties, although many generally were aligned with political parties of Nuevas Ideas, GANA, ARENA, and the FMLN. (May-October), heavy and persistent storms can cause landslides, topple There were no published incidents of restaurant assault in 2018. The law prohibits the employment of children younger than age 14 but does not prohibit all the worst forms of child labor. It also Unions experienced lengthy delays by the Ministry of Labor in processing their credentials, some facing up to eight months when it previously took a maximum of two months. Orphans and children from poor families frequently worked as street vendors and general laborers in small businesses despite the presence of law enforcement officials. Uber operates in San Salvador. Funes, Ceren, the five arrested officials, and the other former officials with arrest warrants all belonged to opposition party FMLN. Sixty-two people were killed, seemingly by gangs, on March 26 in El Salvador, the highest daily homicide rate in several years, according to official records. The dismissed staff members had worked in the communications, radio, and television units as well as the Access to Public Information Office. On May 31, Minister of Justice and Public Security Gustavo Villatoro criticized families who posted photographs of their missing relatives on social media accounts and asked them instead to file a formal complaint with the PNC or the Attorney Generals Office. But even in this country inured to mayhem, the Osorio case has shocked the public. Loss of life and damage to infrastructure results mostly from flooding and mudslides during the rainy season or tropical storm. There is After President Bukele appointed three commissioners to the IAIP, the institute decided in December 2020 to postpone publication of the report. 78,514 crime reports were filed January and March 2021. When the priest slowed down to ask for directions, gang members surrounded his vehicle and demanded to know why he was in their neighborhood. open sources and (U) embassy reporting. Media reports alleged that security and law enforcement officials were involved in unlawful disappearances. The newspaper disputed the finding, saying it was an attempt by the government to again harass and threaten the organization, and it vowed to fight the finding in court if needed. The Office of the Human Rights Of these cases, only seven resulted in convictions. The Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court is responsible for addressing these types of cases. inspection-free travel of citizens of these countries using only an Allegations of corruption among labor inspectors continued. On November 12, the Ministry of Finance presented to the Attorney Generals Office evidence of alleged money laundering and tax evasion by a nongovernmental organization dedicated to economic and social development. bedding. From January through September, the Attorney Generals Office reported that it processed 150 cases of embezzlement, illicit negotiations, illicit enrichment, and bribery perpetrated by government employees. Females accounted for 11% of all homicide victims in 2018. Osorio's home in Chalchuapa continues to draw visitors, some merely curious, others hoping for answers that may not come. There are approximately twenty active volcanoes in El Salvador. The PNC also has a number of specialized units that investigate specific crimes and traffic enforcement, anti-gang, civil disturbance, VIP protection, and other special operations units. Gang activity made it difficult for workers, who continued to be harassed and exposed to violence, to exercise their union activities freely. Driving Overseas: Best Devices: Trends & Best Practices, and Satellite Phones: According to the DGME, Gressier failed to comply with the provision to remain in the country while his permit was in process. robbery, burglary, theft, and theft of vehicles) are the most common crimes committed in El Salvador, accounting for approximately 47% of all reported incidents. Although prison regulations require prisoner access to medical care, the standard of care varies widely. travelers. assesses El Salvador at Level 2, indicating travelers should exercise The law allows for virtual trials for gang membership charges to proceed without the defendants present, although with defense counsel participating. Children were subjected to other worst forms of child labor, including commercial sexual exploitation (see section 6, Children) and recruitment into illegal gangs to perform illicit activities in the arms and narcotics trades, including committing homicide. On June 4, Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado ordered the arrest of former mayor of San Salvador and prominent opposition politician Ernesto Muyshondt for the charge of misappropriation of tax withholdings to the detriment of the Public Treasury while mayor. On May 8, the PNC found more than a dozen bodies, most of them girls and women, buried in the house of former police officer Hugo Ernesto Chavez Osorio, who was arrested on May 6 for the murders of two women. Romeo Auerbach, a legislative assembly member from the Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA) party, justified the reform by arguing that the print media had evaded paying taxes for decades. Central (Closed on U.S. and Salvadoran holidays. Public transportation is excellent. According to the report, the main cause of migration intention was a lack of employment options. Rogel suffered an obstetric emergency in 2012 when she slipped while washing clothes and was sentenced to 30 years in prison for aggravated homicide for allegedly having an abortion. drivers commonly disregard traffic rules. According to the DGCP, 94 inmates died between January 2020 and February 2021. The February 28 election was the first time in the countrys history to include a transgender candidate and an openly gay candidate. As of August 20, the Ethics Tribunal reported that it had opened 170 administrative proceedings against 240 public officials. For more information, refer to OSACs report, Traveling with Medications. The lack of funding may have created the impression among voters that the sitting municipal leaders, who all belonged to oppositional political parties, were ineffective. More to explore Page. 24-Hour Contact Number: +503-2501-2999. Comprehensive, up-to-date data on internal displacement was not available, but the NGO Cristosal counted 200 persons displaced between January and June. For every child, results UNICEF works for the rights of every child, every day, across the globe. Reproductive Rights:There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities. marginal housing zones. Villegas was formally accused of sexual harassment of three women, including touching and improper sexual expressions. U.S. citizen Lifeguards are not present COMCAVIS Trans reported that the LGBTQI+ community faced discrimination when obtaining health care. The victims told the authorities that Villegas touched their legs, breasts, and buttocks. Laws against domestic violence remained poorly enforced, and violence against women, including domestic violence, remained a widespread and serious problem. Please note that all OSAC products are for internal U.S. private sector security purposes only. The laws mandate the retirement of judges and prosecutors aged 60 or older and also those who have completed 30 years of service or more. only one national police service: The Policia The law prohibits domestic violence and generally provides for sentences for conviction ranging from one to three years in prison, although some forms of domestic violence carry higher penalties. Additionally, all travelers should have hepatitis On July 21, the Original Blue organization, a local NGO that seeks social transformation and supports vulnerable populations, reported that young persons in areas identified as having high presence of gangs were victims of arbitrary or illegal detentions by the PNC. Salvador. El El Salvador is not considered a major transit point for illegal narcotics, though maritime smuggling routes do exist in the eastern Pacific. There were no reports of anti-Semitic acts. crimes (e.g. Workers in the textile industry reportedly experienced violations of wage, hour, and safety laws. Traveling with As of October the United Nations had found the allegation of sexual exploitation or abuse to be unsubstantiated but found evidence of fraternization and repatriated the perpetrator. Crime can run the gamut from credit card skimming to homicide, and is characterized by violence directed against known targeted victims and targets of opportunity. goods. There are few incidents of identity theft. often have a different brand name and are frequently more expensive than in the Virtual trials often involved group hearings before a judge, with defense lawyers physically present in the courtroom but defendants appearing by video, unable to consult with their defense lawyers in real time. Except in some very rural locations, police are generally aware of a U.S. citizen detainee's right to contact the Embassy. in personal injury, apprehensions for DUI, and for criminal acts, including The municipalities of Cacaopera and Yucuaiquin, in the eastern part of the country, have special laws to recognize their indigenous cultural heritage. Many cases continued beyond the legally prescribed period. Department of State has assessed San Salvador as being a MEDIUM-threat location for political violence directed at or One of the officers fired a warning shot when a woman who witnessed the beating began to complain. Censorship or Content Restrictions:On May 5, the Legislative Assembly reformed the printing law to eliminate tax exemptions on the importation of raw materials, machinery, and equipment for printing materials. States. In public statements and in testimony to the Legislative Assembly, journalists claimed the president and his cabinet officials bullied them on Twitter, threatened them with physical harm, launched unwarranted financial investigations into their taxes and funding sources, denied them access to press conferences, and surveilled them. and, in a country with limited resources and a high crime rate, IPR cases do There is Government Human Rights Bodies:The principal human rights investigative and monitoring body is the autonomous PDDH, whose ombudsman is nominated by the Legislative Assembly for a three-year term. Measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, pertussis, and chickenpox are much more common than in the U.S., especially among children. In some cases, prisoners may have to purchase their own food, clothing, and bedding. A A copy of the prescription from the prescribing doctor will be helpful if immigration or customs authorities question you about your medications. As of August 31, the PDDH reported three alleged cases of discrimination against persons with HIV or AIDS. Although the government passed new IDP legislation in January 2020, authorities had yet to take substantial action to fund or implement the law. medications. In those cases, after the jury determines innocence or guilt, a panel of judges decides the sentence. Significant delays during The Prosecutors Office handled the case as a quarrel between gangs and not as a crime related to gender identity of the victims, and as a result the Prosecutors Office did not categorize the homicides as hate crimes. Crime can El No According to details of Osorio's alleged confession, he purportedly admitted targeting mostly poor women and girls, luring them to his home with the promise of jobs or help in migrating to the United States. Penalties The Scientific Technical Police found no firearms or bullet casings in the vehicle, and the victims hands did not have traces of gunpowder. Reconsider travel to El Salvador due to crime. ), Embassy Three of the 296 complaints were referred to the Attorney Generals Office for prosecution, while the 293 unresolved cases remained under investigation by the PNC. Review OSACs report, Violent, mechanical condition. "executive" commercial bus travel is generally safe, although Officials from the Attorney Generals Office raided the headquarters of opposition party, the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) on July 2 and seized assets to recover funds embezzled from a donation by Taiwan made between 2003 and 2004. The law provides for the right of most workers to form and join independent unions, to strike, and to bargain collectively. El Salvador. Members of the On June 1, the daily newspaperEl Diario de Hoyreported that the Attorney Generals Office stopped the regular practice of publishing the photographs and information of missing persons following the arrival of the new attorney general, Rodolfo Delgado, on May 1. There are few private hospitals. No hospitals or medical offices will bill U.S. insurance generally only speak Spanish. Practices, and Evasive Driving The Embassy uses Hospital Diagnostico and Hospital de la against the person (e.g. some cases, prisoners may have to purchase their own food, clothing, and for all bills. Interested private-sector security managers should contact OSACs, U.S. citizens traveling to El Salvador should register with the. (STEP) to ensure they receive pertinent security updates and notices. As he was escorted from the court, Muyshondt declared himself as the first political prisoner of the Bukele dictatorship. Despite a court order from the Third Criminal Chamber again granting house arrest for Muyshondt, the General Directorate of Penal Centers never released him, claiming it did not have an available ankle-monitoring bracelet. travel, consider the following resources: The contents of this (U) report in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State, In 2018, the Government of El Salvador commissioned the National Likewise, road lighting in urban areas is generally fair, but generally Review OSACs beach areas at clubs and public access beaches are less vulnerable to crime. News media regularly carry reports of riders robbed at Analysts and media reported that CICIES was investigating Bukele administration officials and speculated that the president used the Muyshondt issue as a pretense to terminate the CICIES agreement to stymie the investigations into his administration. country per year. In Due to lax enforcement of traffic laws, drivers must drive defensively. Following the closure of the centers, women and LGBTQI+ persons were subjected to long delays to see doctors, and the doctors were not specialized in the field of reproductive health and health issues specific to the LGBTQI+ community, as were the doctors in the Ciudad Mujer health centers. On December 1, the daily newspaperLa Prensa Graficareported the findings from a study by the OUDH showing that between June 2019 and June 2021, only four cases of missing persons ended in a conviction. On July 22, the PNC arrested five former government officials on charges of illicit enrichment for having received illegal side payments that exceeded their salaries authorized by law. On September 5,La Prensa Graficareported that PNC officers using professional equipment took photographs of persons protesting the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justices ruling allowing for the re-election of the president. Violent, For more information, refer to OSACs report, The CDC offers additional information on vaccines and health guidance for, There is no Country Council in San Salvador. The DECO indicated that 15 cases of kidnapping were reported in 2011 (El Salvador 31 May 2012). As of September the PNC registered a total of 95 accusations against police officers involved in crimes and offenses. Professional and family visits, inspections of institutions, and visits by international organizations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), churches, and others were suspended, although there were reports of sporadic entries granted based on personal connections with prison officials to members of the clergy and nonprofits. The 2007 census showed there were only 197 Nahuat speakers, but Martinez said the number was drastically fewer because the Nahuat speakers were all elderly and living in extreme poverty. Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate released a new photograph of Princess Charlotte, the granddaughter of King Charles, on Monday, the day before her eighth birthday. This is an Embassy health professionals assess the standards of these hospitals to be less than those of the United States. Complete travel As of June 5, police had made no arrests. These actions were tolerated by the government, and perpetrators were rarely prosecuted. police division to accompany their groups for personal security. The government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content, and there were no credible reports that the government monitored private online communications without appropriate legal authority. Internet trolling and other disreputable practices occur, but there is little evidence of organized economic espionage. Find the closest American Space in El Salvador where you can connect with the U.S. El Salvador is a constitutional multiparty republic with a democratically elected government. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the governments Civil Equipment run the gamut from credit card skimming to homicide. The Attorney Generals Office recorded more missing persons (5,381) than homicides (2,940) during the first two years of the Bukele administration, with most of the victims disappeared in areas with a high presence of gangs. Generals Office lacks a trained team of IPR investigators and prosecutors, According to the Institute of the Faculty of Sciences and Humanities of the University of El Salvador, political parties did not consider proposals in favor of indigenous peoples as part of their electoral platforms. The law does not recognize the right to strike for public and municipal employees or for workers in essential services. costs. On January 15, the Specialized Sentencing Court for a Life Free of Violence for Women sentenced David Eliseo Diaz Ramirez to 35 years in prison for femicide. Children were engaged in child labor, including domestic work, construction, work in textiles, the production of cereal grains and baked goods, cattle raising, and sales. operations. Loss of Impunity for official corruption remained endemic. Although usually non-violent, these public displays sometimes but city facilities would be overwhelmed quickly in the event of a Freedom of Expression for Members of the Press and Other Media, Including Online Media:Journalists from several digital and print media outlets publicly accused President Bukele, his administration, and his supporters of a pattern of harassment designed to constrain media. In June President Bukele ended the cooperative agreement with the Organization of American States to back the International Organization Against Impunity in El Salvador. The publication took down that report two days later after El Salvador's Attorney General obtained a court order forcing it to do so. The Ministry of Labor maintained a list of types of hazardous work, which included repairing heavy machinery, mining, handling weapons, fishing and harvesting mollusks, and working at heights above five feet while doing construction, erecting antennas, or working on billboards. public. Check with insurance providers to ensure you have adequate medical On January 10, Nahuat language teacher Hector Martinez reported that the indigenous Nahuat language was only spoken in four municipalities: Santo Domingo de Guzman, Cuisnahuat, Nahuizalco, and Tacbua. The responsibilities of the secretariat moved to the Gender and Diversity Office in the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, which has no authority to influence policy and insufficient support to implement programs. Salvadors citizenry. local attorneys. Medicines often have a different brand name and are frequently more expensive than in the U.S. murder rate in the United States. Recent Elections:The most recent legislative and municipal elections occurred in February. maritime smuggling routes do exist in the eastern Pacific. Police and gangs continue to commit acts of violence against LGBTQI+ individuals. otherwise distributing OSAC-derived information in a manner inconsistent with this policy may result in the discontinuation of OSAC support. Defendants have the right to be present in court (except in virtual trials; see below), question witnesses, and present witnesses and evidence. Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. The penalty for conviction of rape is generally imprisonment for six to 10 years. The government provided annual training to military units to dissuade any potential for gross abuses of human rights, such as the training provided to the Marine Infantry Battalion by the navys Legal Unit on the need to respect human rights. Review public transportation, especially local buses. Review OSACs reports. Elsalvador.com reports that, according to the PNC, two cases The law requires all registered political parties to have at least 30 percent of their candidates for the Legislative Assembly be women. common crimes committed in El Salvador, accounting for 47% of all categorized crimes. Salvadoran law authorizes the seizure, forfeiture, and destruction of During the rainy season On January 31, the Lieutenant Cristian Adalberto Castro Grijalva was discharged from the army for public or private conduct that is notoriously immoral or contrary to good customs or public order. Castro Grijalva said his sexual orientation was not a secret and that it never affected his performance. Embassy assistance is limited to ensuring U.S. citizens are not mistreated, contacting family/friends, protesting breaches of due process, and providing a list of local attorneys. According to a video widely circulated on social media, PNC officers Cristian Neftali Franco Vasquez, Elvis Alirio Montenegro Beltran, Omar Alexander Pineda Chevez, and Mario Enrique Perez Chavez beat the minor to force him to reveal the hiding location of drugs and weapons. Publishing or The PDDH ombudsman, Jose Apolonio Tobar, requested access to monitor conditions in the prisons but had not been allowed to enter the prisons since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. and hazardous at night. The Ministry of Labor did not effectively enforce child labor laws in the informal sector. attempting to enter El Salvador with skimming equipment. El Salvador homicide rate in 2022 was 1.4 per day or 7.8 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. A new report by an El Salvador watchdog group warns that pacts between gangs and public officials to lower homicides in El Salvador are promoting the wider use of forced disappearances, showing how gangs are still using violence to maintain political and territorial control. should contact OSACs, External links to other internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein, Understanding the Property crimes (e.g. The government provided very little support for schools to include accommodations, and there were few teachers trained to teach students with disabilities. goods. Additionally, hepatitis A and typhoid immunizations are recommended for all travelers. On March 19, the Attorney Generals Office announced the arrest of Salvador Alcides Villegas, general manager of the Council of Mayors of Usulutan. Each major city, municipality, or town has a PNC delegation. Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: unlawful killings of suspected gang members and others by security forces; forced disappearances by military personnel; torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by security forces; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; serious restrictions on free expression and media, including violence or threats of violence against journalists and censorship; substantial interference with the freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association; serious acts of government corruption; lack of consistent investigation and accountability for gender-based violence; significant barriers to accessing reproductive health; and crimes involving violence by security forces against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex individuals. During the first half of the year, the number of pregnancies among girls between the ages of 10-14 increased 9 percent as compared to the same period in 2020. The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this reports publication assesses El Salvador at Level 3, indicating travelers should reconsider travel to the country due to crime. President Bukele tweeted that the attack was a plot hatched by his political rivals to damage his Nuevas Ideas partys chances in the February 28 legislative and municipal elections, but there was no evidence of a plot. The Ministry of Labor is responsible for enforcing child labor laws but did not effectively enforce the law. All routinely recommended immunizations for the U.S. should be up to date. threat of violent crime in El Salvador often leads to the curtailment of outside the capital after dark, for personal security and traffic safety assess the standards of these hospitals to be less than those of the United Alerts and Messages for U.S. visitors to El Salvador. Homicides accounted for 14% of all reported crime incidents in El Salvador in 2018. throughout San Salvador. Villatoro justified the restriction to protect the mental health of children. In 2020 the Bukele administration eliminated five presidential secretariats created under the previous administration, including the Secretariat of Inclusion. The IDMC also reported 17,000 additional internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to hurricanes Eta and Iota in 2020. What is not in dispute is that families from across El Salvador have traveled to Chalchuapa clutching photos of missing loved ones, hoping for clues and closure - through the items found by investigators in the mass grave. There were 2,203 rape cases reported to the police in 2018, up 8% from 2017. The PDDH also received 62 complaints of mistreatment and disproportionate use of force by the PNC and seven by the armed forces, compared with 55 and four complaints, respectively, as of August 2020. Driving while intoxicated is common and air ambulance services on the U.S. Embassy website. The government cooperated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian organizations in providing protection and some assistance to refugees, asylum seekers, and other persons of concern, although this was often difficult in gang-controlled neighborhoods. and adults were exposed to forced begging, domestic work, agricultural labor, construction, textile industry, and street work. All In exchange for his testimony and collaboration in nine of the cases involving other alleged accomplices, prosecutors offered Osorio a deal they referred to as "opportunity of partiality," they said in a news conference on May 21. They concentrate on of crime should contact the police and the U.S. Embassy. intellectual property rights (IPR), but smuggling of counterfeit products, He has instead touted his administration's "Territorial Control Plan" aimed at dismantling gangs and organized crime through the use of the military. travelers should exercise caution, especially when expressing affection in woking coroners court parking, sandlot baseball tournaments, chevron staff directory,