El Salvador: Alianza Americas condemns the dismissal of judges and the Attorney General by ruling-party-dominated Legislative Assembly

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

May 5, 2021

PRESS CONTACTS

Nancy Treviño (786) 201-8958 press@alianzaamericas.org 

CHICAGO — This past weekend just hours after convening, the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador (2021-2024), dominated by the party of President Nayib Bukele, dismissed five judges from the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court, the highest judicial body in the country, as well as  the Attorney General of the Republic. In response to these acts, Oscar Chacón, executive director of Alianza Americas, has issued the following statement:

“We condemn the Legislative Assembly’s decision to dismiss judges and the Attorney General in violation of the laws and Constitution of El Salvador. This illegal act moves the  country backward from its previous advances in  constructing democracy.

The fact that the New Ideas party, President Nayib Bukele’s party,  holds a majority in the Legislative Assembly, does not give it the power to censure or dismiss officials in other branches of government.  Respect for the rule of law is essential to upholding democracy, human rights, and the public trust. This includes respect for the checks and balances that define the constitutional functions of each branch of government.  A functioning judiciary system must be able to operate without fear of political reprisal from the majority party.

The Legislative Assembly must respect the Salvadoran constitution and the law by reinstating the judges and Attorney General who were illegally removed.  

We are a network of immigrant organizations in the United States. Many of us fled El Salvador, during the atrocities of the civil war (1981-1992).  We know what is at stake when the public trust is broken.  We are deeply concerned about this democratic setback, representing a deepening of the social and economic crisis that already exists in the country. We are committed to the construction of a better and more democratic country that offers  economic opportunities,  safety, and justice to all who live there. In short, we want El Salvador to become  a country where fewer and fewer people find themselves forced to migrate.”

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Alianza Americas is a network of migrant-led organizations working in the United States and transnationally to create an inclusive, equitable and sustainable way of life for communities across North, Central and South America.