In El Salvador, under the guise of President Nayib Bukele’s declared "war on gangs," police officers have engaged in widespread abuses including arbitrary arrests and violations of due process, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report detailed on Friday. Since the state of emergency commenced on March 27, 2022, over 86,000 people have been detained, with more than 3,000 of them being minors.

Internal police records and interviews with 11 officers have uncovered alarming patterns of misconduct. Commanders have imposed arrest quotas, demanding three to four, sometimes even five arrests per shift, regardless of the evidence. Officers failing to meet these quotas face punitive measures such as withheld breaks and threats of reassignment.

One officer disclosed, “We knew who the gang members were. But when they fled to the mountains, they just told us to bring in five people a day. ‘Go out and detain five people: I don’t care why you arrest them.'” This pressure has led to detentions based merely on appearances like tattoos, unverified accusations, or entirely fabricated police files.

Further exacerbating the situation, some officers reported a practice of re-arresting individuals immediately after they were released from prison, blatantly ignoring judicial orders. The misuse of authority extends to acts of extortion and demands for sexual favors, with threats to detain family members unless payments were made.

Despite a noted reduction in gang-related violence, officers expressed concerns that these unchecked practices threaten to escalate further and undermine the rule of law in El Salvador. They stressed the urgent need for oversight and accountability mechanisms to curb these violations.

Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at HRW, criticized the Salvadoran government's approach, stating, "President Nayib Bukele publicizes his security policies as a positive model for the world, but the police officers we spoke with tell a completely different story. Their accounts provide a rare insight into how the Salvadoran police have fabricated evidence to fulfill [arrest] quotas, extorted innocent people, bypassed due process, and defied court orders."

HRW's findings highlight a critical juncture for El Salvador, where the tools of a state of emergency, if left unchecked, risk becoming permanent instruments of abuse, eroding fundamental human rights and legal protections.