Human Rights Report Alleges 500 Deaths in Salvadoran Custody Amid Ongoing Emergency Measures

Human rights groups report at least 500 deaths in Salvadoran prisons during President Bukele's four-year state of emergency, raising concerns over due process.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 4, 2026, 3:27 AM EDT

Source: The Tico Times

Four Years of Emergency Powers and Mass Detentions

March 27, 2026, marked the fourth anniversary of the state of emergency in El Salvador, a measure initially triggered by a violent spike in gang killings in 2022. Since its inception, the Legislative Assembly has renewed the decree 48 times, effectively suspending constitutional rights such as the requirement for a warrant before an arrest. According to government figures, this "iron fist" approach has led to the detention of more than 91,300 people, transforming El Salvador into the country with the world's highest incarceration rate per capita.

While the government highlights the dismantling of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18 gangs, human rights groups argue that the lack of judicial oversight has led to thousands of arbitrary arrests. Socorro Jurídico Humanitario, which compiled its data from medical records and family testimonies, suggests that the true death toll in the prison system could exceed 1,500 due to opaque record-keeping and a lack of official transparency.

Allegations of Systematic Negligence and Violence

The report by Socorro Jurídico Humanitario categorizes the causes of death into two primary groups: medical neglect and physical trauma. Approximately one-third of the documented deaths resulted from a failure to provide treatment for chronic health conditions. Another 30% were linked to direct violence, with many bodies allegedly showing signs of injury that were not addressed in official autopsies. The organization has gone as far as to label these patterns "crimes against humanity," urging international bodies to conduct independent investigations.

In many cases, the deceased were individuals with no criminal record—including taxi drivers, union members, and even minors living with detained mothers. Families report receiving the remains of their loved ones without full explanations or the opportunity for independent forensic review. The government has largely dismissed these claims, with officials typically attributing prison deaths to natural causes or pre-existing conditions present at the time of arrest.