Public Security in El Salvador: The Slide Towards Re-Militarization

[1] Boletín de prensa, Año XXVI, No.2, Insituto Universitario de Opinion Publica (IUOP) Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas p. 3.

[2] UNODC, Global Study on Homicide: Trends Contexts, Data, p. 93. The source is the National Police (PNC). But the Institute of Legal Medicine (ILM), El Salvador, put the figure at 4,374 and 70 per 100,000. There is also disagreement between these the Security Minister, the PNC, and ILM on what percent of these crimes is due to gang violence.

[3] I am indebted to A. Douglas Kincaid for this distinction between public and civilian security and his examples. See Kincaid, A. D. (Winter 2000). Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs. Vol 42, No. 4. Special issue: Globalization and Democratization in Guatemala, pp. v, 39 – 58. http://www.jstor.org/stable/166341. Accessed Feb. 1, 2012, p. 40.

[4] See “Gangs in Central America,” Clare Ribando Seelke, Specialist in Latin American Affairs, Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL34112 January 3, 2011. Accessed Feb. 1, 2012.

[5] For an essay on crime fighting strategies in El Salvador, in particular the role of the military in civil policing, see WOLA: http://www.wola.org/commentary/stronger_than_the_iron_fist_funes_administration_attempts_a_different_approach_to_crime_a. March 18, 2011. Accessed Feb. 12, 2012.

[6] Centro de Investigación de Opinión Publico Salvadoreña (CIOPS). Encuesta de Opinión LIV. 27, 28, 29 de Enero, 2012. Universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador, pp. 25, 26.

[7] CRS, RL34112, pp. 2, 19.

[8] http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/press-releases/honduras-failing-to-tackle-coup-rights-abuses. June 29, 2010. Accessed Feb. 1, 2012.

[9] See http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=11827&LangID=E. Accessed Feb. 15, 2012

[10] http://www.elfaro.net/es/201202/noticias/7513/. Feb. 7, 2012. Accessed Feb. 12, 2012.

[11] This is the author’s unofficial translation of the original Spanish: ”La Policía continúa bajo la dirección de una autoridad civil, la seguridad pública y la defensa nacional siguen estando adscritas a ministerios diferentes, tal como lo establecen los Acuerdos de Paz.” http://www.elsalvador.com/mwedh/nota/nota_completa.asp?idCat=47654&idArt=6403954. Accessed Feb. 1, 2012..

[12] http://www.diariocolatino.com/es/20111129/nacionales/97886/Mungu%C3%ADa-Pay%C3%A9s-declara-la-%E2%80%9Cguerra-al-crimen%E2%80%9D.htm. Nov. 29, 2011. Accessed Feb. 1, 2012.

[13] This is the author’s unofficial translation of the original Spanish: “A mí me agrada que se ponga esas metas ambiciosas porque es necesario cambiar el enfoque con el que se estaba tratando el tema, se necesita un enfoque más agresivo para combatir la delincuencia.” Nov. 30, 2011. http://www.diariocolatino.com/es/20111130/nacionales/97929/La-ANEP-respalda-compromiso-de–Pay%C3%A9s-de-bajar-30-actividad–delincuencial.htm Accessed Feb. 1, 2012.

[14] As reported by El Diario de Hoy online version: http://www.elsalvador.com/mwedh/nota/nota_completa.asp?idCat=47654&idArt=6403954. Nov. 22, 2011. Accessed Feb. 12, 2012.

[15] See the interview with Payes conducted by El Faro: http://www.salanegra.elfaro.net/es/201201/entrevistas/7374/. Jan. 26, 2011. Accessed 02-01-2012.

[16] http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=473877&Itemid=1On. Feb. 1, 2012. Accessed 02-01-12.

[17] Boletín de prensa, Año XXVI, No.1. Los salvadoreños y salvadoreñas evalúan el cumplimiento de los

Acuerdos de Paz. Insituto Universitario de Opinion Publica (IUOP) Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas, p. 4.

[18] The CIOPS poll respondents give a confidence level for the the police a 5.2 out of 10 (compared to the armed forces at 7).

[19] http://netorivas.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1424:david-munguia-payes-su-larga-relacion-con-el-fmln-&catid=1:netorivas&Itemid=8. Nov. 17, 2011. Accessed Feb. 1, 2012.

[20] http://www.fmln.org FMLN Communique. January 24, 2012. Accessed Feb. 1, 2012.

[21] This is the author’s unofficial translation of the original Spanish: “González dijo que la decisión tomada por el presidente de la República, Mauricio Funes, puede ser peligrosa y generar un retorno al pasado, refiriéndose a la época del Conflicto Armado.” http://www.laprensagrafica.com/el-salvador/politica/245059-nombramiento-de-militar-en-pnc-viola-constitucion-dice-fmln.html. Jan. 24, 2011. Accessed Feb. 1, 2012.

[22] http://www.diariocolatino.com/es/20120130/nacionales/99864/Nombramiento-de-Salinas-es-un-retroceso-a-la-democracia.htm. Jan. 30, 2012. Accessed Feb. 1, 2012.

[23] http://www.uca.edu.sv/noticias/nota.php?texto=586566045. Jan. 30, 2012. Accessed Feb. 1, 2012.

[24]http://www.wola.org/news/wola_expresa_profunda_preocupacion_por_el_nombramiento_del_nuevo_ministro_de_justicia_y_segurid. Nov. 22, 2011. Accessed Feb. 12, 2012.

[25] http://www.share-elsalvador.org/2012/02/military-returns-to-public-security-in-el-salvador.html#more-3708. Feb. 1, 2012. Accessed Feb. 12, 2012.

[26] http://www.cispes.org/es/blog/fmln-swept-from-public-security-cabinet-replaced-by-officials-and-military-officers-close-to-the-us/. Jan. 24, 2011. Accessed Feb. 12, 2012.

[27] http://www.elsalvador.com/mwedh/nota/nota_completa.asp?idCat=47859&idArt=6632240. Feb. 10, 2012. Accessed Feb. 12, 2012.

[28] This is the author’s unofficial translation of the Spanish original: “la administración de Barack Obama advirtió al gobierno de Funes que no iba a firmar el crucial Asocio para el Crecimiento si Melgar continuaba en el gabinete.” http://www.elfaro.net/es/201111/noticias/6544/. Nov. 8, 2011. Accessed Feb. 1, 2012. See also the Wikileaks cable 09Sansalvador928. This can be accessed at a number of sites, including: http://wikileaks.tetalab.org/mobile/origin/embassy_san_salvador.html.

[29] Partnership for Growth: El Salvador—United States, Joint Country Action Plan, 2011-2015. Nov. 2011, p 8.