El Salvador made a radical shift in its laws. Congress approved a constitutional reform to allow life imprisonment for murderers, rapists, and terrorists, a penalty that had previously been prohibited in the country.
President Nayib Bukele pushed the initiative this Tuesday, and his lawmakers approved it in record time and without debate. With 59 votes in favor and only one against, El Salvador seeks to bury what ruling-party member Suecy Callejas called an “era of impunity”.
“The country we long for requires that there be no murderers or rapists in our society”, said the Security Minister. The measure comes just as the government faces harsh international criticism for alleged human rights violations during the state of exception. Should other Latin American countries apply it?
For this law to become a full reality, lawmakers must ratify the reform in the coming days, taking advantage of a legal change they made in April 2024. Thus, El Salvador is preparing to modify its Penal Code and bury criminals for life.
