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        {"code":"25467","sect":"El Salvador","sect_slug":"el-salvador","hits":"699","link":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/en\/202105\/el_salvador\/25467","link_edit":"","name":"Bukele Responds to Avalanche of International Criticism: \u201cThe People Voted for This\u201d","slug":"bukele-responds-to-avalanche-of-international-criticism-ldquo-the-people-voted-for-this-rdquo-","info":"The day after the removal of the Constitutional Court magistrates and attorney general, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken repudiated the decisions. The European Union also criticized the move on Monday. President Bukele and some lawmakers responded that the ballot box gave them the power to remove and install officials, but human rights organizations in the country explain that the appointment did not follow protocol and violated the Constitution.","mtag":"Politics","noun":{"html":"\u003Cspan class='tint-text--dark' data_href='\/user\/profile\/glabrador'\u003E Gabriel Labrador\u003C\/span\u003E y \u003Cspan class='tint-text--dark' data_href='\/user\/profile\/jgavarrete'\u003E Julia Gavarrete\u003C\/span\u003E","data":{"gabriel-labrador":{"sort":"glabrador","slug":"gabriel-labrador","path":"gabriel_labrador","name":"Gabriel Labrador","edge":"0","init":"0"},"julia-gavarrete":{"sort":"jgavarrete","slug":"julia-gavarrete","path":"julia_gavarrete","name":"Julia Gavarrete","edge":"1","init":"0"}}},"view":"699","pict":{"cms-image-000035825-jpg":{"feat":"0","sort":"35825","name":"cms-image-000035825.jpg","link":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000035825.jpg","path":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000035825.jpg","back":"","slug":"cms-image-000035825-jpg","text":"&lt;p&gt;Ernesto Castro, presidente de Nuevas Ideas, abraza a \u00d3scar L\u00f3pez Jer\u00e9z, impuesto como presidente de la Sala de lo Constitucional por el bukelismo el 1 de mayo de 2021. Foto: Carlos Barrera\/El Faro&lt;\/p&gt;","capt":"\u003Cp\u003EErnesto Castro, presidente de Nuevas Ideas, abraza a \u00d3scar L\u00f3pez Jer\u00e9z, impuesto como presidente de la Sala de lo Constitucional por el bukelismo el 1 de mayo de 2021. Foto: Carlos Barrera\/El Faro\u003C\/p\u003E"},"cms-image-000035826-jpg":{"feat":"0","sort":"35826","name":"cms-image-000035826.jpg","link":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000035826.jpg","path":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000035826.jpg","back":"","slug":"cms-image-000035826-jpg","text":"&lt;p&gt;Dozens gathered at the foot of the Monument to the Constitution of El Salvador to protest following the illegal removals of the Constitutional Chamber magistrates and the attorney general. Photo: Carlos Barrera\/El Faro&lt;\/p&gt;","capt":"\u003Cp\u003EDozens gathered at the foot of the Monument to the Constitution of El Salvador to protest following the illegal removals of the Constitutional Chamber magistrates and the attorney general. Photo: Carlos Barrera\/El Faro\u003C\/p\u003E"},"cms-image-000035827-jpg":{"feat":"0","sort":"35827","name":"cms-image-000035827.jpg","link":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000035827.jpg","path":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000035827.jpg","back":"","slug":"cms-image-000035827-jpg","text":"&lt;p&gt;In the early hours of May 2, the National Civil Police mounted an operation at the Attorney General's Office in Santa Elena, Antiguo Cuscatl\u00e1n to escort the new attorney general illegally elected by the legislature, Rodolfo Delgado, to his office. Photo: Carlos Barrera\/El Faro&lt;\/p&gt;","capt":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the early hours of May 2, the National Civil Police mounted an operation at the Attorney General's Office in Santa Elena, Antiguo Cuscatl\u00e1n to escort the new attorney general illegally elected by the legislature, Rodolfo Delgado, to his office. Photo: Carlos Barrera\/El Faro\u003C\/p\u003E"},"cms-image-000035828-jpg":{"feat":"1","sort":"35828","name":"cms-image-000035828.JPG","link":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000035828.JPG","path":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000035828.JPG","back":"","slug":"cms-image-000035828-jpg","text":"","capt":""}},"pict_main__sort":35828,"date":{"live":"2021\/05\/07"},"data_post_dateLive_YY":"2021","data_post_dateLive_MM":"05","data_post_dateLive_DD":"07","text":"\u003Cp id=\"docs-internal-guid-2f571d78-7fff-9f01-5ae7-f92dd2114c32\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003EThe English version of this article is \u003Ca href=\"\/admin\/articles\/Co-published%20with%20NACLA\"\u003Eco-published with NACLA\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EThe day after the Legislative Assembly, dominated by President Nayib Bukele\u2019s party, \u003Ca href=\"\/en\/202105\/el_salvador\/25452\/New-Legislative-Assembly-Ousts-Supreme-Court-Magistrates-and-Attorney-General.htm\"\u003Eousted\u003C\/a\u003E the judges of the Constitutional Court and the attorney general, and named replacements in line with their interests, El Salvador woke up on Sunday, May 2 to two opposing accounts of what had happened. The president\u2019s office justified the removals, defining them as acts of \u201ccleaning house.\u201d Meanwhile, a broad group of Salvadoran social organizations and powerful voices of the international community described the events as a technical coup, or at the very least a violation of the rule of law. In the midst of public debate, mainly taking place on social media, four of the officials removed by Bukele\u2019s so-called \u201ccyan bloc\u201d\u2014Attorney General Ra\u00fal Melara and magistrates Aldo C\u00e1der Camilot, Carlos S\u00e1nchez, and Marina de Torrento\u2014publicly resigned in letters posted on social media.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EAs early as Saturday night, lawyers, civil organizations, diplomats, and members of the international community began condemning and rejecting the four decrees approved by the new Assembly. At the same time, Bukele and some lawmakers of his Nuevas Ideas party turned to social media to try to impose their own version of events. The official narrative included everything from mocking opponents to targeted harassment of Armando Penda Navas, who was, until Saturday, president of the Supreme Court. Some suggested conspiracy theories, like the idea that George Soros was behind the international condemnation and even the statements made by Vice President Kamala Harris.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EIn a gesture that speaks to the abruptness of the removals, the social media accounts of the institutions now under control of government allies\u2014the Attorney General\u2019s office, the Supreme Court, and the Legislative Assembly\u2014adopted a new color scheme of dark blue, and public relations and media personnel have stopped responding to telephone inquiries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E    \u003Cfigure class=\"pict pict_land pict_move_posc 0 cs_img cs_img--curr rule--ss_c\" data-shot=\"pict\" data-hint=\"pict\"\u003E \u003Cdiv class=\"pict__pobj text-overflow\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=https:\/\/elfaro.net\/get_img?ImageWidth=2000&ImageHeight=1333&ImageId=35825 class=\"pobj\" style=\"max-width: 100%\" rel=\"resizable\" alt=\"Ernesto Castro, presidente de Nuevas Ideas, abraza a \u00d3scar L\u00f3pez Jer\u00e9z, impuesto como presidente de la Sala de lo Constitucional por el bukelismo el 1 de mayo de 2021. Foto: Carlos Barrera\/El Faro\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E \u003Cfigcaption class=\"pict__text cs_img_caption folk_content typo_buttons line--ss_s0c line--ss_s0c--auto block full-width text-overflow rule--ss_l relative\"\u003E \u003Cdiv class=\"__content block-inline full-width align-top tint-text--idle relative\"\u003E Ernesto Castro, presidente de Nuevas Ideas, abraza a \u00d3scar L\u00f3pez Jer\u00e9z, impuesto como presidente de la Sala de lo Constitucional por el bukelismo el 1 de mayo de 2021. Foto: Carlos Barrera\/El Faro \u003Cdiv class=\"photographer text_italic rule--ss_l tint-text--idle\"\u003E \u003C\/div\u003E \u003C\/div\u003E \u003C\/figcaption\u003E \u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u201cAll, absolutely all those from other countries who criticize, would want government officials who have kept them in misery for 30 years to be sent to prison. Stop the hypocrisy. 75 percent of the Salvadoran people voted in free elections for the change we are seeing,\u201d Bukele\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nayibbukele\/status\/1388963084375662598?s=20\"\u003E wrote\u003C\/a\u003E on Twitter, responding to an outpouring of international criticism. \u201cDo you expect the people to vote overwhelmingly for a new government, wait two years for them to be allowed to vote overwhelmingly (75 percent of the votes) for a new Legislative Assembly and then after all that the same officials continue in power? Have you checked your logic?\u201d he\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nayibbukele\/status\/1388960846106218498?s=20\"\u003E wrote\u003C\/a\u003E in an earlier \u00a0tweet. Lawmakers such as Suecy Callejas also tried to\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/suecallejase\/status\/1388962908365852673\"\u003E make the case\u003C\/a\u003E on Twitter for the alleged reasons why they decided, in contravention of the Constitution, to dismiss the officials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EIn 24 hours, from 5:27 p.m. on Saturday, Bukele tweeted and retweeted 310 times\u2014a rate of one every five minutes. Despite the Twitter offensive, condemnation of what happened Saturday took on greater proportions when high-ranking officials from the Biden administration, including Vice President Harris, repudiated the cyan bloc\u2019s actions. Harris tweeted Sunday night: \u201cWe have deep concerns about El Salvador\u2019s democracy, in light of the National Assembly\u2019s vote to remove constitutional court judges. An independent judiciary is critical to a healthy democracy\u2014and to a strong economy.\u201d Biden has tapped Harris to\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/americas\/us-unveils-310-mln-central-america-aid-guatemala-agrees-work-together-migration-2021-04-27\/\"\u003E lead U.S. efforts\u003C\/a\u003E with Central America\u2019s Northern Triangle countries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EBiden\u2019s Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also condemned the dismissals. Blinken called Bukele on Sunday and \u201cexpressed the U.S. government\u2019s grave concern over the Legislative Assembly\u2019s vote to remove all five magistrates of El Salvador\u2019s constitutional Chamber, noting that an independent judiciary is essential to democratic governance,\u201d according to a\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/secretary-blinkens-call-with-salvadoran-president-bukele\/\"\u003E statement\u003C\/a\u003E from spokesperson Ned Price.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EIn western Europe, Germany\u2019s Foreign Minister\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NielsAnnen\/status\/1388932856194469890?s=20\"\u003E Niels Annen\u003C\/a\u003E and member of European Parliament\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/secretary-blinkens-call-with-salvadoran-president-bukele\/\"\u003E Tilly Metz\u003C\/a\u003E were the first to condemn the move. The European Union spokesperson released a\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/eeas.europa.eu\/headquarters\/headquarters-homepage\/97684\/el-salvador-statement-spokesperson-replacement-magistrates-supreme-court_en\"\u003E statement\u003C\/a\u003E on Monday, and EU high representative for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, wrote on Twitter: \u201cFollowing with concern the latest events in El Salvador, which challenge the rule of law and the separation of powers. In the U.S. Congress, representatives such as\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepMcGovern\/status\/1388687397710352384\"\u003E Jim McGovern\u003C\/a\u003E of Massachusetts and\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JoaquinCastrotx\/status\/1388941321050771459\"\u003E Joaqu\u00edn Castro\u003C\/a\u003E of Texas expressed their concern.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EOthers issued harsher challenges. \u201cI want it to be clear to Bukele: We will make every effort to make this assault on democracy affect his relationship with the U.S. government, World Bank, IMF, and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Today in Washington the rule of law is necessary,\u201d\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JMVivancoHRW\/status\/1388680152574529536\"\u003E tweeted\u003C\/a\u003E Jos\u00e9 Miguel Vivanco, executive director of Human Rights Watch\u2019s Americas division. Bukele\u2019s vice president, F\u00e9lix Ulloa, responded 18 hours later on social media, though without reference to the alleged unconstitutionality of Saturday\u2019s new appointments: \u201cI thank you for doing everything you can for the benefit of our people, going to the IDB, WB, and IMF and the Biden admin to seek sanctions for El Salvador. An example of a human rights defender! All that\u2019s missing is for you to ask for an embargo like the one punishing Cuba.\u201d\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EProfessor and director of the University of Washington Center for Human Rights Angelina Godoy also commented on Vivanco\u2019s take,\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/angelinasgodoy\/status\/1389081818108895233\"\u003E writing\u003C\/a\u003E: \u201cI definitely agree this is a moment for action to support human rights in El Salvador \u2014 but at what point does the human rights community admit that invoking the World Bank, IMF, and US government as the guardians of democracy in the Americas is not credible?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E    \u003Cfigure class=\"pict pict_land pict_move_posc 0 cs_img cs_img--curr rule--ss_c\" data-shot=\"pict\" data-hint=\"pict\"\u003E \u003Cdiv class=\"pict__pobj text-overflow\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=https:\/\/elfaro.net\/get_img?ImageWidth=2000&ImageHeight=1333&ImageId=35826 class=\"pobj\" style=\"max-width: 100%\" rel=\"resizable\" alt=\"Dozens gathered at the foot of the Monument to the Constitution of El Salvador to protest following the illegal removals of the Constitutional Chamber magistrates and the attorney general. Photo: Carlos Barrera\/El Faro\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E \u003Cfigcaption class=\"pict__text cs_img_caption folk_content typo_buttons line--ss_s0c line--ss_s0c--auto block full-width text-overflow rule--ss_l relative\"\u003E \u003Cdiv class=\"__content block-inline full-width align-top tint-text--idle relative\"\u003E Dozens gathered at the foot of the Monument to the Constitution of El Salvador to protest following the illegal removals of the Constitutional Chamber magistrates and the attorney general. Photo: Carlos Barrera\/El Faro \u003Cdiv class=\"photographer text_italic rule--ss_l tint-text--idle\"\u003E \u003C\/div\u003E \u003C\/div\u003E \u003C\/figcaption\u003E \u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EThe Salvadoran opposition in the Assembly reacted in real time on Saturday. Claudia Ortiz, the sole lawmaker elected with the Vamos party, left the plenary session when the removal process got underway late in the afternoon. \u201cI will not participate in a simulation of democracy!\u201d Ortiz\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ClaudiaOrtizSV\/status\/1388653948991594496\"\u003E tweeted\u003C\/a\u003E, leaving the chamber. The rest of the opposition lawmakers remained in the chamber but voted against the decrees. ARENA, FMLN, Nuestro Tiempo\u2014which, together with Vamos, form a bloc of 20 lawmakers, insufficient to make decisions\u2014also released statements of protest and called on the international community, especially the Organization of American States (OAS) to respond. The Christian Democrats (PDC) also condemned the move, despite the fact that Reynaldo Carballo, the party\u2019s only lawmaker, has held positions in favor of Bukele\u2019s Nuevas Ideas, including voting in favor of the four ordinances on Saturday night. The party, however, published a statement on social media distancing itself from the move: \u201cThe PDC rejects and condemns the intentional and arbitrary removal of the court magistrates\u2026It is an act of breaking with the republican system.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlmagro Distances Himself from Bukele\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EOn Sunday morning, the Organization of American States (OAS), led by Luis Almagro, released a statement condemning the Assembly\u2019s actions, marking the first important rupture in the organization\u2019s relationship with the Bukele administration. The OAS \u201crejects the dismissal of the magistrates of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice and of the Attorney General, Ra\u00fal Melara, as well as the actions of the Executive Branch that guided these decisions,\u201d the\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.oas.org\/en\/media_center\/press_release.asp?sCodigo=E-044\/21\"\u003E statement\u003C\/a\u003E reads.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EAlmagro has been an important voice backing Bukele in the international debate, taking an antagonistic attitude towards human rights figures like Human Rights Watch\u2019s Vivanco who have criticized Bukele\u2019s leadership. \u201cBukele is attacking the rule of law and seeks to concentrate all power in his hands,\u201d wrote Vivanco Saturday night. Almagro had already described Vivanco as a \u201chysterical voice\u201d baselessly criticizing Bukele. In July 2020, in an interview in which he was asked his opinion about Bukele\u2019s\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/nacla.org\/news\/2020\/02\/19\/el-bukelazo-shades-dictatorship-el-salvador\"\u003E coup attempt\u003C\/a\u003E on February 9, 2020, Almagro said \u201cwe don\u2019t have to invent dictatorships where there are none.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EThe OAS\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.oas.org\/en\/media_center\/press_release.asp?sCodigo=E-044\/21\"\u003E deemed\u003C\/a\u003E it \u201cessential\u201d to continue the work \u201cbegun by the Special Mission chaired by Santiago Cant\u00f3n in the application of the Inter-American Democratic Charter\u2026as requested by the Executive Power and the previous Salvadoran legislature.\u201d The mission visited the country in the wake of February 9. Cant\u00f3n published the\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SantiagoACanton\/status\/1388845366116769797?s=20\"\u003E conclusions\u003C\/a\u003E of his report on Twitter on Sunday. In general, the mission concluded that there were signs of violations of the separation of powers in El Salvador. Now, Almagro considers it vital that there be appropriate follow-up on these findings.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EThe Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), headquartered in Washington and part of the inter-American system, also\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CIDH\/status\/1388888672120999938?s=20\"\u003E rejected\u003C\/a\u003E the Assembly\u2019s actions and urged the Salvadoran state to respect the Constitutional Court\u2019s sentence that declared the naming of the new magistrates unconstitutional. The IACHR also delegated a team to closely monitor events in El Salvador over the coming days.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBukele\u2019s Magistrates Not Recognized\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EOn Sunday and Monday, 71 civil society organizations dedicated to overseeing public functions condemned the removals. On Sunday morning, 26 organizations\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/accion-ciudadana.org\/por-la-vida-de-la-democracia-en-el-salvador\/\"\u003E said\u003C\/a\u003E that what had happened the day before \u201cbroke the constitutional order and threatened the rights of all Salvadorans. Acci\u00f3n Ciudadana, Cristosal, the Due Process of Law Foundation (DPFL), the Ibero-American Institute of Constitutional Law, the Foundation for the Study and Application of Law (FESPAD), the National Foundation for Development (FUNDE), the Central American Institute for Fiscal (ICEFI), and the Jos\u00e9 Sime\u00f3n Ca\u00f1as Central American University (UCA) were among the signing organizations. They described Nuevas Ideas as an \u201cunquestionably authoritarian political project in which all powers respond to a single person.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E    \u003Cfigure class=\"pict pict_land pict_move_posc 0 cs_img cs_img--curr rule--ss_c\" data-shot=\"pict\" data-hint=\"pict\"\u003E \u003Cdiv class=\"pict__pobj text-overflow\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=https:\/\/elfaro.net\/get_img?ImageWidth=2000&ImageHeight=1333&ImageId=35827 class=\"pobj\" style=\"max-width: 100%\" rel=\"resizable\" alt=\"In the early hours of May 2, the National Civil Police mounted an operation at the Attorney General's Office in Santa Elena, Antiguo Cuscatl\u00e1n to escort the new attorney general illegally elected by the legislature, Rodolfo Delgado, to his office. Photo: Carlos Barrera\/El Faro\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E \u003Cfigcaption class=\"pict__text cs_img_caption folk_content typo_buttons line--ss_s0c line--ss_s0c--auto block full-width text-overflow rule--ss_l relative\"\u003E \u003Cdiv class=\"__content block-inline full-width align-top tint-text--idle relative\"\u003E In the early hours of May 2, the National Civil Police mounted an operation at the Attorney General's Office in Santa Elena, Antiguo Cuscatl\u00e1n to escort the new attorney general illegally elected by the legislature, Rodolfo Delgado, to his office. Photo: Carlos Barrera\/El Faro \u003Cdiv class=\"photographer text_italic rule--ss_l tint-text--idle\"\u003E \u003C\/div\u003E \u003C\/div\u003E \u003C\/figcaption\u003E \u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u201cIn my long political career, I have never seen the country\u2019s Constitution and law violated so many times in six, eight hours,\u201d said Rub\u00e9n Zamora, former Salvadoran ambassador to the United States and United Nations and also the first leftist presidential candidate following the peace accords. The violations, he said, occurred in the midst of an invalid session, because there was no agenda. \u201cThey totally violated the Assembly\u2019s internal rules. Therefore, what has been done is void,\u201d he added. Sonia Rubio of the Due Process of Law Foundation (DPFL) stated that there is only one Constitutional Court in El Salvador, the one dismissed by Bukele\u2019s faction. \u201cThe process of naming the alleged magistrates\u2026lacks legality. They are people who have not passed through the procedures established by the constitution,\u201d she explained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EIn their joint statement, the organizations declared that they would not recognize the elected officials that carried out these illegitimate acts, characterizing them as \u201cusurpers.\u201d \u201cThe legal veneer of the destitutions is a crude simulation that does not stand up to the most minimal coherent analysis, it breaks with the constitutional order,\u201d they\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/accion-ciudadana.org\/por-la-vida-de-la-democracia-en-el-salvador\/\"\u003E wrote\u003C\/a\u003E.\u00a0 The organizations added that the new lawmakers could be legally liable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EOn Monday morning, another 40 organizations\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Fafip\/status\/1389268613006249986?s=20\"\u003E expressed\u003C\/a\u003E their public condemnation. \u201cMany think that what is happening doesn\u2019t directly affect them, but they are wrong. The destruction of democracy ends up affecting all of us, sooner or later,\u201d reads a statement that was read at the UCA in San Salvador.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EBy midday Sunday, the ousted magistrate Aldo C\u00e1der Camilot published a letter on social media announcing his \u201cirrevocable resignation\u201d from the 2018-2027 Constitutional Court. C\u00e1der, one of the judges who supported multiple rulings that blocked various violations of executive law in the context of the government\u2019s pandemic response in 2020, said that his resignation was related to personal and family reasons and called the removal of the judges a \u201clamentable partisan political development.\u201d \u201cI have never been linked to nor responded to the interests of any political party nor any economic power or [power] of any other nature,\u201d C\u00e1der wrote.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003ELater, two other magistrates and Attorney General Ra\u00fal Melara published letters with similar reactions. Judge Marina de Torrento, elected in 2018 in a process described as a\u003Ca href=\"\/es\/201811\/el_salvador\/22700\/Cuatro-meses-para-elegir-una-Sala-de-lo-Constitucional-prudente.htm\"\u003E power sharing\u003C\/a\u003E deal between ARENA, the FMLN, and GANA, published a letter on Twitter without giving details about her resignation. Judge Carlos S\u00e1nchez later released his own statement via third parties. Unlike his colleagues, S\u00e1nchez did insinuate that he resigned because he feared retaliation. \u201cTaking into account some family reasons that some lawmakers and officials of the Executive Branch do not ignore, being the serious illness that my only daughter is suffering while admitted to the Hospital Rosales, I have taken the irrevocable decision of resigning from this position,\u201d read the statement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EAttorney General Melara also resigned, although he made clear that he did not agree with the decision. He hinted that he was worried about his family\u2019s well being. \u201cHowever, considering the main motive of my family\u2019s well being, and given that ensuring the necessary guarantees to carry out this role is out of my control, I have decided to present my irrevocable resignation from this position,\u201d read his statement, released at 9:36 p.m. Sunday.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EThe news of the removal of the Constitutional Court judges unleashed a call to action. Some 500 people gathered at 2:00 p.m. Sunday at San Salvador\u2019s monument to the Constitution with signs, placards, and short speeches over loudspeakers. Feminist movements and the LBGTQI+ community were among the largest groups in the demonstration. \u201cThe first session of the Assembly threatens a system of minimum freedoms and legal security won through the struggles and sacrifice of thousands of Salvadoran families, said one of the demonstrators at the beginning of the protest. \u201cBukele, fascist, you\u2019re a terrorist. We demand an absolute halt of any fascist action!\u201d some yelled. \u201cYou cannot govern a country in a unilateral way,\u201d said another protester as rain showered the capital city.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E*Translated by Heather Gies.\u003C\/p\u003E"}

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