Within the first two months of the state of emergency in El Salvador imposed by President Nayib Bukele back in 2022, two of Gladis Álvarez’s sons were arrested and accused of being gang associates. Since then, the 53-year-old woman’s life has fallen apart. “There were eight of us in my family. Now, I’m the only one left,” Álvarez laments. “Since my sons were arrested, our lives have been destroyed in a terrible way,” she adds.
This kind of sob stories about gang memebers are so counterproductive. Are we supposed to feel sorry that someone who at least willingly associated with extreme violence (if not committed it themselves) is locked up?
That being said El Salvador needs a reconciliation plan. These people will not stay locked up forever, and it’s important to return them to society without falling in the old ways. Which is made more difficult by all the violence they were exposed to inside prison.
I’ve long held that El Salvadorean prisoners are best understood as PoWs in a civil war, rather than regular criminals. That why “reconciliation” is a much better approach than a legalistic one. Doesn’t seem like anyone cares though.
