Salvadoran Police’s Permission to Kill

Welcome to IWPR’s Frontline Update, your go-to source to hear from journalists and local voices at the front lines of conflict.

 THE BIG PICTURE  

An IWPR-supported investigation has exposed the entrenchment of organised crime within the police and other state institutions in El Salvador.

Permission to Kill, an exposé by IWPR media partner Gato Encerrado, revealed that Los Exterminio, a criminal group within the Salvadoran national police, has been implicated in at least 279 murders since 2019, along with other crimes like robberies, extortion and targeted killings.

The revelations arise in the context of a presidential exception which has suspended a wide range of rights and due process protections in the country for more than two years. Introduced by President Nayib Bukele in March 2022, the exceptional decree has been extended 32 times with no clear end date, handing state security forces tremenous power.

 VOICES FROM THE FRONTLINE 

“With Bukele, the narrative about security forces has been to hold them as heroes to be trusted,” said a spokesperson for the team at Gato Encerrado, asking to remain anonymous for security reasons.

"This report accuses police officers of acting as hit men, so we had to triple-check everything, including a legal review to guarantee that our evidence and our reporting were bulletproof. It was challenging to travel and cultivate trustworthy relationships with our sources. We worked under strict physical and digital protocols.”

Shortly after publication in the San Salvador-based online journal, police raided the home of the editor’s family without demonstrating due legal authority and questioned relatives.

“We knew the publication would put the magazine in the spotlight, which also meant putting a target on our backs. And it did,” the spokesperson continued. “That’s why it’s so important to have a solid publication strategy, so local and international allies can amplify the impact. We know that those in power will try to dismiss the report or attack the messenger, but they can’t refute the evidence.”

 WHY IT MATTERS 

The state of exception in El Salvador is part of a broader trend in Latin America in which governments have implemented or called for severe security policies to combat gang violence and organised crime. Yet in El Salvador, as elsewhere, the measure has been exploited by authorities to commit widespread human rights violations, including mass arbitrary detentions, abuse-ridden prosecutions and a significant assault on press freedom.

Independent media outlets in El Salvador have been forced to operate under increasing pressure, with some shutting down or relocating outside the country and others practicing self-censorship to avoid repercussions. El Faro, one of the country's most respected investigative journalism outlets was forced to re-register in Costa Rica after being hit with a number of legal threats in 2023.

 THE BOTTOM LINE 

The Gato Encerrado investigation underscores the crucial role of investigative journalism in tackling sensitive issues and uncovering critical truths, especially in highly restrictive environments. It also highlights the importance of international partnerships, for support and for solidarity.

This story was produced as part of IWPR’s Consortium to Support Independent Journalism in Latin America (CAPIR), which provides local journalists and partner media with training, financial resources, mentorship and networking.

For the journalists at Gato Encerrado – one of 15 investigative teams IWPR is supporting across Latin America – international links and the political vigialance of the international diplomatic and advocacy community are vital to help independent media across the region determined to raise their voices, even at great risk.