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{"code":"26177","sect":"El Salvador","sect_slug":"el-salvador","hits":"17443","link":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/en\/202205\/el_salvador\/26177","link_edit":"","name":"Collapsed Government Talks with MS-13 Sparked Record Homicides in El Salvador, Audios Reveal","slug":"collapsed-government-talks-with-ms-13-sparked-record-homicides-in-el-salvador-audios-reveal","info":"El Faro obtained audio recordings of conversations between a senior Bukele administration official and the Mara Salvatrucha, detailing the unraveling of covert negotiations for a reduction in homicides. In one of the recordings Carlos Marroqu\u00edn, the official leading the talks, blamed Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro for the collapse that led to an unprecedented wave of violence in March. He also confirmed to the gang that he personally took Helmer Canales Rivera, alias \u201cCrook,\u201d out of prison to Guatemala despite pending criminal charges and a U.S. extradition request.","mtag":"Gangs","noun":{"html":"\u003Cspan class='tint-text--dark' data_href='\/user\/profile\/cmartinez'\u003E Carlos Mart\u00ednez\u003C\/span\u003E","data":{"carlos-martinez":{"sort":"cmartinez","slug":"carlos-martinez","path":"carlos_martinez","name":"Carlos Mart\u00ednez","edge":"0","init":"0"}}},"view":"17443","pict":{"cms-image-000037525-jpg":{"feat":"0","sort":"37525","name":"cms-image-000037525.jpg","link":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000037525.jpg","path":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000037525.jpg","back":"","slug":"cms-image-000037525-jpg","text":"&lt;p&gt;After President Bukele took office in June 2019, Carlos Marroqu\u00edn (middle) was named Director for the Reconstruction of the Social Fabric. Photo: Carlos Barrera\/El Faro&lt;\/p&gt;","capt":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter President Bukele took office in June 2019, Carlos Marroqu\u00edn (middle) was named Director for the Reconstruction of the Social Fabric. Photo: Carlos Barrera\/El Faro\u003C\/p\u003E"},"cms-image-000037526-jpg":{"feat":"0","sort":"37526","name":"cms-image-000037526.jpg","link":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000037526.jpg","path":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000037526.jpg","back":"","slug":"cms-image-000037526-jpg","text":"&lt;p&gt;Carlos Marroqu\u00edn in an interview on state-run television station Canal 10. Photo: Directorate for the Reconstruction of the Social Fabric&lt;\/p&gt;","capt":"\u003Cp\u003ECarlos Marroqu\u00edn in an interview on state-run television station Canal 10. Photo: Directorate for the Reconstruction of the Social Fabric\u003C\/p\u003E"},"cms-image-000037527-jpg":{"feat":"1","sort":"37527","name":"cms-image-000037527.jpg","link":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000037527.jpg","path":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000037527.jpg","back":"","slug":"cms-image-000037527-jpg","text":"&lt;p&gt;President Nayib Bukele alongside Carlos Marroqu\u00edn, director for the reconstruction of the social fabric, at the ribbon cutting for an Urban Center for Well-being and Opportunities (CUBO) in Santa Ana. Foto: Twitter account of Carlos Marroqu\u00edn&lt;\/p&gt;","capt":"\u003Cp\u003EPresident Nayib Bukele alongside Carlos Marroqu\u00edn, director for the reconstruction of the social fabric, at the ribbon cutting for an Urban Center for Well-being and Opportunities (CUBO) in Santa Ana. Foto: Twitter account of Carlos Marroqu\u00edn\u003C\/p\u003E"},"cms-image-000037528-jpg":{"feat":"0","sort":"37528","name":"cms-image-000037528.jpg","link":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000037528.jpg","path":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000037528.jpg","back":"","slug":"cms-image-000037528-jpg","text":"&lt;p&gt;Carlos Marroqu\u00edn during an event in the Colonia Valle Verde in the municipality of Apopa outside San Salvador. Photo: Directorate for the Reconstruction of the Social Fabric&lt;\/p&gt;","capt":"\u003Cp\u003ECarlos Marroqu\u00edn during an event in the Colonia Valle Verde in the municipality of Apopa outside San Salvador. Photo: Directorate for the Reconstruction of the Social Fabric\u003C\/p\u003E"},"cms-image-000037351-jpg":{"feat":"0","sort":"37351","name":"cms-image-000037351.jpg","link":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000037351.jpg","path":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000037351.jpg","back":"","slug":"cms-image-000037351-jpg","text":"&lt;p&gt;Police and soldiers stood watch at the scene of the third homicide registered in El Salvador on Sunday, March 27, 2022, in a neighborhood known as Ex-Biblioteca. Photo: Carlos Barrera\/El Faro&lt;\/p&gt;","capt":"\u003Cp\u003EPolice and soldiers stood watch at the scene of the third homicide registered in El Salvador on Sunday, March 27, 2022, in a neighborhood known as Ex-Biblioteca. Photo: Carlos Barrera\/El Faro\u003C\/p\u003E"},"cms-image-000036907-jpg":{"feat":"0","sort":"36907","name":"cms-image-000036907.jpg","link":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000036907.jpg","path":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000036907.jpg","back":"","slug":"cms-image-000036907-jpg","text":"&lt;p&gt;Prison Bureau director Osiris Luna enters Zacatecoluca Prison in July 2020 to meet with incarcerated gang leaders. In August 2021, El Faro published evidence from the Attorney General's Office that senior prison officials in the Bukele administration removed logbooks and hard drives documenting their negotiations with El Salvador's three gangs amid a criminal probe. In December 2021, the U.S. Treasury blacklisted Luna and a top lieutenant, Carlos Marroqu\u00edn, for leading the talks on behalf of the Bukele administration.&lt;\/p&gt;","capt":"\u003Cp\u003EPrison Bureau director Osiris Luna enters Zacatecoluca Prison in July 2020 to meet with incarcerated gang leaders. In August 2021, El Faro published evidence from the Attorney General's Office that senior prison officials in the Bukele administration removed logbooks and hard drives documenting their negotiations with El Salvador's three gangs amid a criminal probe. In December 2021, the U.S. Treasury blacklisted Luna and a top lieutenant, Carlos Marroqu\u00edn, for leading the talks on behalf of the Bukele administration.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"cms-image-000037529-jpg":{"feat":"0","sort":"37529","name":"cms-image-000037529.jpg","link":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000037529.jpg","path":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000037529.jpg","back":"","slug":"cms-image-000037529-jpg","text":"&lt;p&gt;A group of detainees is transferred to Mariona Prison. The government claims to have made 31,000 arrests during the state of exception through mid-May, 2022. Phot: V\u00edctor Pe\u00f1a\/El Faro&lt;\/p&gt;","capt":"\u003Cp\u003EA group of detainees is transferred to Mariona Prison. The government claims to have made 31,000 arrests during the state of exception through mid-May, 2022. Phot: V\u00edctor Pe\u00f1a\/El Faro\u003C\/p\u003E"}},"pict_main__sort":37527,"date":{"live":"2022\/05\/17"},"data_post_dateLive_YY":"2022","data_post_dateLive_MM":"05","data_post_dateLive_DD":"17","text":"\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"\/es\/202205\/el_salvador\/26175\/Audios-de-Carlos-Marroqu%C3%ADn-revelan-que-masacre-de-marzo-ocurri%C3%B3-por-ruptura-entre-Gobierno-y-MS.htm\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003ELeer en espa\u00f1ol\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EHigh-ranking Mara Salvatrucha-13 (MS-13) sources confessed to El Faro their responsibility for the killings of 87 people between March 25 and 27 in El Salvador, including 62 of them on March 26, the most violent day in the past two decades. Spokespersons for MS-13 revealed that the murders were carried out in response to what they call a \u201cbetrayal\u201d by the administration of President Nayib Bukele of the \u003Ca href=\"\/en\/202108\/el_salvador\/25670\/Criminal-Investigation-Found-the-Bukele-Administration-Hid-Evidence-of-Negotiations-with-Gangs.htm\"\u003Ecovert pact that reduced homicides\u003C\/a\u003E since 2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u201cThey [the government] were doing things that they should not have done. That\u2019s why there were 80 deaths on those days,\u201d explained a leader of MS-13 who is outside El Salvador. \u201cThey didn\u2019t keep their word. They made arrests that they shouldn\u2019t have. They said, \u2018Meet us at such-and-such place to talk,\u2019 and instead of talking, they made arrests.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EAs proof of their dialogue with the Bukele administration, MS-13 provided seven audio files in which Carlos Marroqu\u00edn, one of the negotiators on behalf of the president, speaks with at least one member of the gang during and after the violent weekend in March. In the recordings, Marroqu\u00edn, the administration\u2019s Director for the Reconstruction of Social Fabric, details to his MS-13 counterparts his efforts during the spike in homicides to convince Bukele to keep the agreement alive. He also indicates that he would have prevented the arrest of gang members that provoked the crisis and refers to the three days of the massacre as a pressure tactic against the government.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EMarroqu\u00edn explicitly blames Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro, who he calls in the recordings \u201cthe crazy minister,\u201d for the fallout and claims to be relaying the gangs\u2019 messages to Bukele, under the pseudonym \u2018Batman.\u2019 \u201cI already told Batman there are 72 hours to respond,\u201d Marroqu\u00edn says. \u201cHe didn\u2019t take it well. He took it poorly, like: \u2018They can\u2019t threaten me,\u2019 and the like.\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=3000&ImageHeight=1999&ImageId=37527 class=\"pobj\" style=\"max-width: 100%\" rel=\"resizable\" alt=\"President Nayib Bukele alongside Carlos Marroqu\u00edn, director for the reconstruction of the social fabric, at the ribbon cutting for an Urban Center for Well-being and Opportunities (CUBO) in Santa Ana. Foto: Twitter account of Carlos Marroqu\u00edn\" \/\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 President Nayib Bukele alongside Carlos Marroqu\u00edn, director for the reconstruction of the social fabric, at the ribbon cutting for an Urban Center for Well-being and Opportunities (CUBO) in Santa Ana. Foto: Twitter account of Carlos Marroqu\u00edn \u003C\/div\u003E \u003C\/figcaption\u003E \u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EIn the audios, Marroqu\u00edn also admits to having led negotiations for \u201calmost two and a half years\u201d and confesses to escorting a gang member whom he calls \u201cEl Viejo\u201d out of prison and to Guatemala. El Faro identified the gang member as \u201c\u003Ca href=\"\/en\/202203\/el_salvador\/26078\/Is-El-Salvador-Protecting-MS-13-from-Extradition.htm\"\u003ECrook of Hollywood\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d one of the national leaders of MS-13 who faces a U.S. extradition request but was released despite the ongoing criminal charges, according to \u003Ca href=\"\/es\/202205\/el_salvador\/26156\/Corte-confirma-que-Crook-no-est%C3%A1-detenido-y-no-puede-pronunciarse-sobre-su-extradici%C3%B3n.htm\"\u003EEl Faro investigations\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EIn the call, Marroqu\u00edn claims to have done so in order to show the gang his \u201cloyalty and trustworthiness.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EEl Faro verified the recordings\u2019 authenticity with two MS-13 leaders and one from the 18th Street gang. Using forensic-grade software, El Faro also compared Marroqu\u00edn\u2019s voice with samples from public speeches. The analysis found that the pitches and frequencies of the recordings produced an 85 to 90 percent match, the closest possible match through these programs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1270934662%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-SWZdAvDb9EI&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003E\u003Ca style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" title=\"elfaroradio\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/elfaroradio\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eelfaroradio\u003C\/a\u003E \u00b7 \u003Ca style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/elfaroradio\/4-we-made-an-effort-for-almost\/s-SWZdAvDb9EI\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\"We Made An Effort For Almost Two And A Half Years\"\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EThe three gang members agree that what shattered the government\u2019s pact with the gangs was the arrest of a group of MS-13 members traveling in a government vehicle, who had let their guard down due to a guarantee of safe-passage, and were accompanied by a driver hired by the government.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EAn MS-13 spokesperson, who identified himself as \u201cChavo\u201d and said he is a member of the senior leadership outside of prison, offered more details. \u201cA couple of brothers were arrested while traveling in an official vehicle from the [prison] system. They had a driver provided by Lobo,\u201d he said, referring to Osiris Luna, the prisons director and vice minister of security. El Faro confirmed with multiple gang members the pseudonyms for Luna and the rest of the officials mentioned in this investigation, including that of \u201cBatman,\u201d used to refer to Bukele.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u201cIn the audios you can hear one of our homies talking to Carlos Marroqu\u00edn. \u2018Lente\u2019 is this homie Carlos Marroqu\u00edn from Social Fabric. We called him that to protect his identity, like we did with Batman,\u201d explained one of the leaders in a phone call.\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=3000&ImageHeight=2000&ImageId=37525 class=\"pobj\" style=\"max-width: 100%\" rel=\"resizable\" alt=\"After President Bukele took office in June 2019, Carlos Marroqu\u00edn (middle) was named Director for the Reconstruction of the Social Fabric. 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 After President Bukele took office in June 2019, Carlos Marroqu\u00edn (middle) was named Director for the Reconstruction of the Social Fabric. 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\"\u003EMarroqu\u00edn alludes directly to Bukele as \u201cBatman\u201d in four of the seven audio files. The conversations suggest that the president was aware at all times of the communications with the Mara Salvatrucha. Marroqu\u00edn even offered to show a gang member screenshots of his conversations with the president.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EIn the recordings, Marroqu\u00edn confirms the arrests and reveals that, in their wake, MS-13 leaders gave the government an ultimatum to free its members within 72 hours. In one recording, the official says he relayed the message to the president.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EEl Faro questioned \u2018Chavo\u2019 about the assassinations on the last weekend in March. He answered: \u201cIn all of the years of this pact with Batman, the homicides have been at zero. We were the ones to carry it, believe me, every day\u2026and the system would blame us, day after day, if the homicides were high,\u201d he said. \u201cWe know how it was handled. And now you ask me: \u2018Why did you take it out on all of the people?\u2019 The thing is that here it\u2019s not just us or someone. Here almost everyone came...\u201d Then he hung up before El Faro could ask him to clarify.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EEl Faro later asked the MS-13 spokespersons the same question again: Why did they murder so many Salvadorans to exact vengeance against the government? The gang did not respond.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1270934674%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-cA2QwJSDmBs&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003E\u003Ca style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" title=\"elfaroradio\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/elfaroradio\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eelfaroradio\u003C\/a\u003E \u00b7 \u003Ca style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/elfaroradio\/2-i-will-send-you-a-photo-of\/s-cA2QwJSDmBs\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\"I Will Send You A Photo Of My Conversation With Batman\"\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EPrior to publication El Faro contacted Carlos Marroqu\u00edn by phone for comment but received no reply. We also sent him several messages detailing the findings of the investigation. At least one of them was read, but without a response. El Faro also placed calls to the cell phones of Minister Villatoro, Vice Minister Luna, and the presidential press secretary, Sof\u00eda Medina, as well as to the press offices of the Prison Bureau and Ministry of Justice and Public Security. None replied.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFissure in the Security Cabinet\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EThe recordings reveal a clash in strategy between Marroqu\u00edn and Security Minister Villatoro, who in the conversation with the gangs is referred to as \u201cTorero.\u201d Marroqu\u00edn blames him for the pact\u2019s demise and even says he sent the gangs a compilation of the minister\u2019s social media posts. \u201cI\u2019m listening in. I sent you the image of a few of that crazy minister\u2019s posts, but I believe they think they can test their strength on you,\u201d he says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EAs the government reacted to the spike in violence by decreeing a state of exception and making sweeping arrests, Marroqu\u00edn told the gang: \u201cRight now the process has ended. Inside they\u2019re torturing people, right? They\u2019re suffering and being humiliated.\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=3000&ImageHeight=2000&ImageId=37351 class=\"pobj\" style=\"max-width: 100%\" rel=\"resizable\" alt=\"Police and soldiers stood watch at the scene of the third homicide registered in El Salvador on Sunday, March 27, 2022, in a neighborhood known as Ex-Biblioteca. 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 Police and soldiers stood watch at the scene of the third homicide registered in El Salvador on Sunday, March 27, 2022, in a neighborhood known as Ex-Biblioteca. 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\"\u003EHe also warns the gang that rogue members of their organization may have made a separate deal with Villatoro: \u201cThe raids won\u2019t stop, right? In theory\u2026 Hey, look, there\u2019s something strange for you to check out. There are almost no arrests in Sonsonate. My gut tells me those guys from San Cocos are turning over your people, those of you that they can spot. And I\u2019m telling you, brother, God forgive me, but I think they made some kind of deal with this minister, right? He\u2019s the one who will end up taking the victory lap for all the arrests.\u201d\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EHe added: \u201cThey\u2019re going to start killing, brother. You\u2019ll see, left and right. This isn\u2019t what we fought for.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EAs it has with past governments and political parties since at least 2012, the gang decided to reveal the inner workings of its negotiations with the Bukele administration because of its view that the government violated the terms of their agreement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1270934647%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-NvUa6Bt1aGV&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003E\u003Ca style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" title=\"elfaroradio\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/elfaroradio\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eelfaroradio\u003C\/a\u003E \u00b7 \u003Ca style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" title=\"\u201cThey\u2019re Going To Start Killing, Brother\u201d\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/elfaroradio\/5-theyre-going-to-start\/s-NvUa6Bt1aGV\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u201cThey\u2019re Going To Start Killing, Brother\u201d\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EIn 2020, El Faro \u003Ca href=\"\/en\/202009\/el_salvador\/24785\/Bukele-Spent-A-Year-Negotiating-with-MS-13-for-a-Reduction-in-Homicides-and-Electoral-Support.htm\"\u003Erevealed\u003C\/a\u003E the existence of the negotiations between the government and MS-13 for a reduction in homicides. El Salvador saw in 2018 an average of more than 9.1 homicides per day, according to police data. By 2020 and 2021, under the Bukele administration, the number dropped to \u003Ca href=\"\/en\/202203\/el_salvador\/26100\/Is-Bukele\"\u003E3.4 per day on average\u003C\/a\u003E. In 2021 El Faro published a \u003Ca href=\"\/en\/202108\/el_salvador\/25670\/Criminal-Investigation-Found-the-Bukele-Administration-Hid-Evidence-of-Negotiations-with-Gangs.htm\"\u003Efollow-up investigation\u003C\/a\u003E showing that the dialogue also included both factions of 18th Street, the Sure\u00f1os and Revolucionarios. Both publications showed that Marroqu\u00edn, as heard in the audios, acted as liaison between the government and the gangs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EVice Minister Osiris Luna also appeared in El Faro\u2019s investigations as a key part of\u00a0 the negotiations. As head of the Bureau of Prisons, Luna authorized the entry of hooded individuals into maximum-security facilities to conduct the dialogue with imprisoned gang leaders. Prison intelligence reports revealed that in 2019 and 2020 hooded gang members who provided no identification entered the prisons to receive orders from their leaders. Marroqu\u00edn also participated in some of these meetings, according to official documents.\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=36907 class=\"pobj\" style=\"max-width: 100%\" rel=\"resizable\" alt=\"Prison Bureau director Osiris Luna enters Zacatecoluca Prison in July 2020 to meet with incarcerated gang leaders. In August 2021, El Faro published evidence from the Attorney General's Office that senior prison officials in the Bukele administration removed logbooks and hard drives documenting their negotiations with El Salvador's three gangs amid a criminal probe. In December 2021, the U.S. Treasury blacklisted Luna and a top lieutenant, Carlos Marroqu\u00edn, for leading the talks on behalf of the Bukele administration.\" \/\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 Prison Bureau director Osiris Luna enters Zacatecoluca Prison in July 2020 to meet with incarcerated gang leaders. In August 2021, El Faro published evidence from the Attorney General's Office that senior prison officials in the Bukele administration removed logbooks and hard drives documenting their negotiations with El Salvador's three gangs amid a criminal probe. In December 2021, the U.S. Treasury blacklisted Luna and a top lieutenant, Carlos Marroqu\u00edn, for leading the talks on behalf of the Bukele administration. \u003C\/div\u003E \u003C\/figcaption\u003E \u003C\/figure\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EIn a recent interview with British Spanish-language outlet BBC Mundo, the Sure\u00f1os, a faction of the 18th Street gang, confirmed that they negotiated with the Bukele administration: \u201cAs a gang we have spoken with Carlos Marroqu\u00edn and Osiris Luna, and we also have a line of communication with another government intermediary, known as \u201cManzano,\u201d to protect and not burn Carlos and Osiris.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EIn December 2021, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed \u003Ca href=\"\/en\/202112\/centroamerica\/25893\/Treasury-Dept-Salvadoran-Government-Pacted-with-MS-13.htm\"\u003EGlobal Magnitsky Act sanctions\u003C\/a\u003E on Marroqu\u00edn and Luna, barring them from entering the United States, on accusations of secretly negotiating with gangs that the U.S. government considers transnational criminal organizations. According to Reuters, the Department of Justice is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/americas\/exclusive-us-preparing-indictments-against-salvadoran-officials-over-alleged-2021-12-10\/\"\u003Epreparing an indictment\u003C\/a\u003E against both members of the Bukele administration.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u201cI personally took Viejo to Guatemala\u201d\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EOne of the audios, apparently recorded between March 25 and 27, when the spike in homicides had already begun, but before Bukele ordered his party\u2019s legislators to approve the state of exception, documents a conversation in which Marroqu\u00edn scolds a gang member for having trusted other officials. \u201cLobo [Osiris Luna] was an asshole and didn\u2019t tell me at the time, brother,\u201d he says in reference to the gang members\u2019 detention. \u201cThey came and told me when the brothers were already on the outside and Santa [an MS-13 member] was the one who told me, but others didn\u2019t. They had already arrested them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EHe also asserts that, if he was in the car, he could have avoided the gang members' detention. \u201cThat's where I tell you guys: Do you think that if this operation were done with me, I wouldn\u2019t have been present? Of course I would\u2019ve gone and moved the brothers myself! You know why? Because\u2026 they won\u2019t come for me, you get it? Torero isn\u2019t going to swing at me. That would be a mistake for him\u2026 so\u2026 can you imagine that picture in the press? They capture the\u2026they capture Lente [Marroqu\u00edn] with so-and-so and so-and-so. Listen, that would be a bombshell for Batman.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1270934671%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-Js9TcVnlTr9&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003E\u003Ca style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" title=\"elfaroradio\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/elfaroradio\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eelfaroradio\u003C\/a\u003E \u00b7 \u003Ca style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" title=\"\u201cThat Crazy Minister\u201d\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/elfaroradio\/3-that-crazy-minister\/s-Js9TcVnlTr9\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u201cThat Crazy Minister\u201d\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EAfter the scolding from Marroqu\u00edn, the gang member asks if the driver who accompanied the captured MS-13 members was also arrested. In response the director of Social Fabric reveals that the driver had been hired by the government. \u201cYeah, yeah, yeah. Even him. I imagine they\u2019ll help him out because he works for the system,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cBut that\u2019s where I tell you, brother, why do you lower your guard? We were all on the same page that things went through me.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EOne gang spokesperson told El Faro that not only was the gang members\u2019 driver a government employee, but that at the time of arrest they were traveling in an official Bureau of Prisons vehicle.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EIn the same conversation Marroqu\u00edn says \u2014to make his point that he is the most trustworthy official\u2014 that he personally escorted gang member \u201cEl Viejo\u201d out of the country.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1270934626&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003E\u003Ca style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" title=\"elfaroradio\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/elfaroradio\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eelfaroradio\u003C\/a\u003E \u00b7 \u003Ca style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/elfaroradio\/6-i-personally-took-el-viejo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\"I Personally Took El Viejo To Guatemala\"\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u201cI pulled Viejo out from inside, brother, as a way of helping all you guys and to show you my loyalty and trustworthiness,\u201d he claimed. \u201cI personally went to get him and took him to Guatemala, so\u2026I don\u2019t know why you trust other people, brother, if everyone else here wants this to fall apart and no longer move forward or work.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003ETwo MS-13 leaders confirmed to El Faro that \u201cEl Viejo\u201d is \u00c9lmer Canales Rivera, alias \u201cCrook de Hollywood.\u201d He is a founding member of the Ranfla Hist\u00f3rica, the gang\u2019s highest governing council, and has participated in all negotiations with governments and political parties since at least 2012, including those with the Bukele administration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003ECrook was imprisoned in 2000, received a new 70-year conviction in 2019 for homicide, and is facing additional charges for aggravated extortion and illicit association. In December 2020, a federal judge in the Eastern District of New York signed his arrest warrant, accusing him of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, conspiring to commit acts of terrorism on U.S. soil, conspiring to finance terrorism, and conspiring to engage in narco-terrorism. The Biden administration formally requested his extradition on July 26, 2021.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EThe judge who handled Crook\u2019s case documented on March 29, 2022, that by the time of the extradition request he had already been freed, despite ongoing criminal charges. When the judge inquired about Crook\u2019s whereabouts, Supreme Court magistrates aligned with Bukele transferred him to an inferior post and Bukele accused him of corruption. In May the Supreme Court confirmed to El Faro, in response to a records request, that the 46-year-old gang leader was not in Prisons Bureau custody.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EOne of the MS-13 leaders consulted by El Faro backed Marroqu\u00edn\u2019s version of events: \u201cThat [the release of Crook] was a deal that was made. Imagine how we did that: It was pure state power. You see how dirty it was for them to take him out in cars from the system?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u201cHe thinks he\u2019s got you guys up against the wall\u201d\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EThe recordings detail how the killings in late March were the way the Mara Salvatrucha exerted pressure on the government after its members' arrests, and how in that critical moment Bukele cut Marroqu\u00edn out of the transcendent decision of how to react to the gang\u2019s threat.\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u201cI\u2019m the one who gets what\u2019s going on here, brother. You, Viejo, and all the others need to see that. Nobody is interested anymore. I think I\u2019m the only one here left fighting for this,\u201d Marroqu\u00edn said, referring to his commitment to saving the agreement with the gang. \u201cSo the thing is, Batman told me, \u2018Let\u2019s see what the reaction is in the next few hours and I\u2019ll let you know if we\u2019ll meet tomorrow.\u2019 So what I need to happen now, brother, is for you to tell all the people to stop, for them to give me the chance to see if we can pick things up again or not. Like I told Diamante [a gang member] in a call yesterday, for me to tell you guys: Brothers, I can\u2019t anymore, it\u2019s over, and that\u2019s it, it fell apart.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1270934617%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-Ej83pUnzmXA&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003E\u003Ca style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" title=\"elfaroradio\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/elfaroradio\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eelfaroradio\u003C\/a\u003E \u00b7 \u003Ca style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" title=\"\u201cBatman Has Been Delayed\u201d\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/elfaroradio\/7-batman-has-been-delayed\/s-Ej83pUnzmXA\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u201cBatman Has Been Delayed\u201d\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EAccording to the audio, Marroqu\u00edn sensed that the government\u2019s pact with the gangs was on the verge of collapse and that he would be the one left to offer explanations to his MS-13 interlocutors, including Crook.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u201cI think the strategy hasn\u2019t worked out well,\u201d he said, ending the conversation. \u201cI think there could have been other ways to pressure that didn\u2019t have to do with the \u003Cem\u003Emuebles\u003C\/em\u003E [dead bodies].\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EIn another audio file, that seems to be dated the next day, Marroqu\u00edn tells the gang about the expected meeting with Bukele. \u201cBatman has been delayed. He\u2019s going to see me at seven at night. I\u2019ll let you know, so that you can also tell Parco [a gang member] to be ready around that time, so that if you have other things to do, you do them, bro, but at seven he and I agreed to meet at the white house.\u201d\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EIn later conversations it becomes clear that Marroqu\u00edn\u2019s meeting with the president did not go as the gangs had hoped.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1270934686%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-aBSPhOKaNYW&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003E\u003Ca style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" title=\"elfaroradio\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/elfaroradio\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eelfaroradio\u003C\/a\u003E \u00b7 \u003Ca style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/elfaroradio\/1-inside-theyre-torturing\/s-aBSPhOKaNYW\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\"Inside They\u2019re Torturing People\"\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EIn another recording, Marroqu\u00edn says: \u201cI\u2019ll send you a photo of my conversation with Batman, alright? So that you can see the situation. I don\u2019t want to play with you guys, bro\u2026 but I feel like right now he\u2019s playing. He thinks he\u2019s got you guys up against the wall, and I don\u2019t want to play that game, you know? So I\u2019ll send you the picture right now so you can see it.\u201d El Faro was unable to identify the gang member who received the screenshots of his conversation with Bukele.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EIn later conversations Marroqu\u00edn seems to conclude that all efforts to maintain an open channel of negotiation with the gangs had failed, criticizes the repression during the state of exception and seems to accept that the process that he oversaw since almost the beginning of Bukele\u2019s presidency had come to an irreparable end.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u201cIf God allows it or requires it, I\u2019ll be there to go at it again, but for now, like I said, brother, the process has ended,\u201d he says. \u201cInside they\u2019re torturing people, right? They\u2019re suffering and being humiliated. They\u2019re treating them like animals, and that\u2019s not what we\u2019ve been fighting for. We did it to generate better conditions for those inside and for the people on the street, the communities, the poorest people. Right now all I know, brother, from what they told me, is that it\u2019s going to get worse in the communities. So yeah, put people on alert, brother, because things are going to get even more fucked.\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=3000&ImageHeight=2000&ImageId=37529 class=\"pobj\" style=\"max-width: 100%\" rel=\"resizable\" alt=\"A group of detainees is transferred to Mariona Prison. The government claims to have made 31,000 arrests during the state of exception through mid-May, 2022. Phot: V\u00edctor Pe\u00f1a\/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 A group of detainees is transferred to Mariona Prison. The government claims to have made 31,000 arrests during the state of exception through mid-May, 2022. Phot: V\u00edctor Pe\u00f1a\/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\"\u003EIn the six weeks following the spike in violence and the souring of the agreement between the Bukele administration and the gangs, authorities claim to have made \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Director_PNC\/status\/1526522217240088576?s=20&t=uJdCMzCmyy4P5omGoT37IQ\"\u003Eover 31,000 arrests\u003C\/a\u003E and the press has registered at least 11 in-custody deaths. Human rights groups\u00a0 have reported widespread \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2022\/05\/02\/el-salvador-evidence-serious-abuse-state-emergency\"\u003Earbitrary detentions\u003C\/a\u003E and Bukele announced he would severely ration and limit prison meals to twice a day. The president has asserted that international and domestic organizations reporting human rights abuses are allies to the gangs, who he has called the \u201carmed wing\u201d of the international community, even though his very own director of Social Fabric called the treatment of those arrested during the state of exception \u201ctorture.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003ERuling party legislators have called for a second 30-day extension of the emergency measures, currently set to expire on May 27.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u201cWe made an effort for almost two and a half years to make things go smoothly, and showed not only him but the country, you guys, the people, and everyone that where there\u2019s a will there\u2019s a way,\u201d Marroqu\u00edn says in one of his messages to the MS-13. \u201cBut it shouldn\u2019t be one-sided, right? It should be on all sides. Unfortunately I think that\u2019s what\u2019s missing now, right, goodwill. But let\u2019s get it, bro, let\u2019s get it. Like I said, I\u2019m here for anything you need. You already know. Anything I can do.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E"}
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