El Salvador has approved a law permitting courts to sentence minors to life imprisonment for crimes such as rape, murder, and terrorism, marking a sharp escalation in President Nayib Bukele’s crackdown on gangs.
The bill, passed on Thursday, follows a constitutional amendment earlier this month that raised the maximum prison term for serious offenses from 60 years to life. Bukele has advocated extending the law to children under 18, regardless of whether they are gang members.
“We have given Salvadoran families the reassurance that none of these criminals will ever see the light of day again,” said Ernesto Castro, president of the National Assembly and a member of the ruling party.
Since declaring a state of emergency in 2022, Bukele’s administration has arrested more than 90,000 people accused of gang affiliation, often without warrants. About 8,000 of those arrested were later released after being found innocent.
One controversial aspect of the crackdown allows individuals accused of gang membership to be detained in adult prisons, a policy that has drawn criticism from human rights groups. While the measures have contributed to record-low homicide rates, critics warn they come at the cost of due process and justice.
Francisco Lira, a deputy from the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (Arena), said “thousands” of Salvadorans remain “waiting for a fair trial” and expressed concern that many innocent people are being punished for crimes they did not commit.
