Salvador: behind the historic drop in crime, tens of thousands of detainees awaiting trial

In El Salvador, nearly 90% of the 93,000 detainees held under a state of emergency have not yet been tried, according to the prosecutor's office. President Nayib Bukele's authoritarian measures have significantly reduced crime rates, but NGOs and UN experts highlight potential human rights violations. Prosecutor Rodolfo Delgado reported over 10,500 convictions, indicating that most detainees await trial. He expressed hope for an increase in cases going to trial. The prosecutor's office noted 13 life sentences and 244 acquittals. Humanitarian organizations claim a third of those imprisoned may be innocent. Bukele acknowledged releasing around 8,000 detainees, while considering a program for the conditional release of 5,000 alleged gang collaborators, despite concerns about coercion from criminal groups.