Salvadoran President Proposes Plan for Conditional Early Release of Prisoners

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele recently announced a proposal that may lead to the conditional early release of up to half of the detainees held under a state of emergency. This initiative targets prisoners classified as gang collaborators, a term that encompasses a wide range of individuals, including gang lookouts and extortion payers.

“There are many people who have committed crimes, but their crime was collaborating with gangs,” Bukele stated. He emphasized that while they deserve imprisonment, collaborating with gangs has been a common occurrence in the country. Bukele highlighted that arresting everyone involved would mean detaining 20% of the population.

The president mentioned plans to evaluate cases to consider potential early release with monitoring. This could impact half of the people detained throughout the state of emergency.

The state of emergency was declared following a violent surge in March 2022 that resulted in over 60 deaths in one day. Though initially set for 30 days, it has been repeatedly extended. During this period, El Salvador experienced a significant drop in its homicide rate, drawing more tourists. However, certain constitutional rights, including the right to legal counsel and visitation, were limited.

Bukele maintained that the emergency measures were necessary to control the notorious gangs, MS-13 and Barrio 18. Despite this, human rights groups criticized the declaration, citing widespread arbitrary arrests. These organizations have called for the termination of the emergency measures.

“The victims of arbitrary detentions don’t just deserve freedom, but also compensation for the harm caused by the State,” wrote exiled Salvadoran lawyer Bertha Deleón on X.

Bukele dismissed these criticisms, urging focus on the victims of gang violence. The president mentioned the eventual goal of ending the state of emergency.

The country’s homicide rate has decreased drastically during Bukele’s tenure, from over 100 murders per 100,000 residents in 2015 to 1.3 per 100,000 in 2025. However, the government has redefined homicide to exclude certain killings, such as those by police or in prisons.