Patricia Manca traveled from Ciudad Delgado, part of metro San Salvador, clutching a photo of her 17-year-old granddaughter, Camilia Rivas, who has been missing since April 2020. El Three of the 296 complaints were referred to the Attorney Generals Office for prosecution, while the 293 unresolved cases remained under investigation by the PNC. Informal Sector:The informal sector represented almost 75 percent of the economy. and 18th Street (Barrio 18) being the Other impediments to effective law enforcement "It corresponds to a problem of accepting as a society that this can happen to women," Medrano said. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. This is an The Embassy uses Hospital Diagnostico and Hospital de la For public safety emergencies, dial 911. CHALCHUAPA, El Salvador, July 19 (Reuters) - Neighbors knew something was wrong in that squat green house when a young woman's screams pierced the quiet of their neighborhood in Chalchuapa, a small town about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from San Salvador, this nation's capital. medications. Additionally, hepatitis A and typhoid immunizations are recommended for all travelers. Because few indigenous persons possessed title to land, opportunities for bank loans and other forms of credit remained limited. While direct hits by hurricanes occur less frequently, they are a concern. Despite these provisions, sexual exploitation of children remained a problem. The victims told the authorities that Villegas touched their legs, breasts, and buttocks. PDDH deputy attorney Beatriz Campos said most of the deaths were due to chronic diseases, including kidney failure, respiratory diseases, and HIV. One of the women, Sara Rogel, received early parole, and the Second Court of Penitentiary Surveillance in Cojutepeque, Cuscatlan Department, released her from prison on June 7. The law does not specify which services meet this definition, and courts therefore applied this provision on a case-by-case basis. According to the ministrys audit,El Faroevaded approximately $34,000 in taxes in 2017. travel, consider the following resources: The contents of this (U) report in no way represent the policies, views, or attitudes of the United States Department of State, in upscale neighborhoods, provide a point of origin and safe haven for affecting official U.S. government interests. is a major contributing factor to traffic accident fatalities. There are approximately twenty active volcanoes in El Salvador. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) estimated there were 114,000 new instances of internal forced displacement due to violence during 2020 and reported the causes included threats, extortion, and assassinations perpetrated by criminal gangs. Exhumation of the bodies in Chalchuapa concluded this month, Villatoro said in a news conference on July 14. Carry an adequate supply of any required medication in its original, clearly labeled container. crimes (e.g. outside of cities and to Guatemala or Honduras during daylight hours and, if are not uniform across the country. Cameras, concertina wire, and grilles Cybersecurity Basics, The law requires parents to register a child within 15 days of birth or pay a small fine. According to February 14 media reports, relatives of inmates had not communicated with inmates in a year. Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud, Best Practices for Maximizing Between January and April, the Attorney Generals Office received 441 complaints of domestic violence, which encompasses domestic violence toward any member of the family, including children. The U.S. Workers in the informal sector were not protected by labor laws and were not inspected by the Ministry of Labor. El The judiciary, due to the lack of familiarity with IPR issues and inconsistent enforcement, continues to be the weak link in IPR protection; using the courts to seek redress for IPR violations is often a slow and frustrating process. No information suggests that criminals specifically target U.S. citizens. Few access ramps or provisions for the mobility of persons with disabilities existed. The government did not demarcate any lands as belonging to indigenous communities. from inadequate funding and limited resources. helpful if immigration or customs authorities question you about your armed security and the use of security features in homes have proven successful The government cooperated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian organizations in providing protection and some assistance to refugees, asylum seekers, and other persons of concern, although this was often difficult in gang-controlled neighborhoods. Minister of Labor Rolando Castro stated the delays were due to incorrect or incomplete information in their paperwork. For more information, review OSACs Report, Security in Transit: Airplanes, Public Transport, and Overnights. In November the president of the Association of Salvadoran Journalists (APES) stated at a journalism forum that journalists were seen by the government as enemies of the state. On February 7, the First Trial Court of Santa Tecla convicted three PNC officers of aggravated homicide and sentenced each of them to 25 years in prison for the 2017 extrajudicial killings of three persons in San Jose Villanueva, La Libertad Department. There are few access ramps Property Additionally, all travelers should have hepatitis Vaccination and Health Guidance. police division to accompany their groups for personal security. On September 3, the Constitutional Chamber approved a ruling to allow for the immediate re-election of the president despite the express prohibition on re-election by the constitution. The law mandates that full-time employees receive pay for an eight-hour day of rest in addition to the 44-hour normal workweek. OSACs report, Central The report also noted that between 2015 and 2020, the Attorney Generals Office identified approximately 15 extermination groups in the country. The Inter American Press Association described the reform as a serious attack against democracy that would impact the local newspaper industry. In 2014, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast, causing moderate damage and killing one person. The polices investigative units have shown great promise; however, routine street-level patrol techniques, anti-gang work, and crime suppression efforts remain a constant, difficult challenge. Although the press announcement did not include the name of the organization, representatives of the Salvadoran Foundation for Economic and Social Development later confirmed they were the subject of the audit. Of the 95 accusations, 38 concerned homicides committed by police officers. specific crimes and traffic enforcement, anti-gang, civil disturbance, VIP Many prisons Sexual Exploitation of Children:Child sex trafficking is prohibited by law. The government did not adequately enforce these laws, and penalties were not commensurate with those for similar crimes, such as fraud. The Legislative Assembly used police to escort the dismissed employees out of their workplace. in combating home invasion. Although prison regulations require prisoner access to medical care, On January 31, PNC officers arrested three men on charges of double homicide after they killed two supporters of opposition party Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) following a soccer match. U.S. The government repeatedly defied a June 2020 judicial order to allow expert witnesses access to inspect military archives to determine criminal responsibility for the 1981 El Mozote massacre. demonstrations are peaceful, they can turn violent. In public statements and in testimony to the Legislative Assembly, journalists claimed the president and his cabinet officials bullied them on Twitter, threatened them with physical harm, launched unwarranted financial investigations into their taxes and funding sources, denied them access to press conferences, and surveilled them. The National Council for Comprehensive Attention to Persons with Disability (CONAIPD), composed of representatives from multiple government entities, is the governmental agency responsible for protecting disability rights, but it lacked enforcement power. The lack of funding may have created the impression among voters that the sitting municipal leaders, who all belonged to oppositional political parties, were ineffective. Burglaries during daylight hours occur in residential neighborhoods Local media have dubbed the dwelling the "House of Horrors.". open sources and (U) embassy reporting. The U.S. Operators El The constitution further provides for the presumption of innocence, the right to be informed promptly and in detail of charges, the right to a trial without undue delay (seldom observed), protection from self-incrimination, the right to communicate with an attorney of choice, the right to adequate time and facilities to prepare a defense, freedom from coercion, the right to appeal, and government-provided legal counsel for the indigent. On August 25, gang members killed a 25-year-old man in Ciudad Delgado, San Salvador Department. crimes. U.S. citizen The law allows children between ages 14 and 18 to engage in light work if it does not damage the childs health or development or interfere with compulsory education. Inspections were scheduled under a calendar set by the Inspections Directorate or to verify a complaint, and labor inspectors did not notify the company prior to their arrival. As a practical matter, however, the Attorney Generals Office lacks a trained team of IPR investigators and prosecutors, and, in a country with limited resources and a high crime rate, IPR cases do not receive a high priority. Except in some very rural locations, police are generally aware of a U.S. citizen detainee's right to contact the Embassy. Consequently, it is common for Salvadorans to include their photo, national ID number, date of birth, address, and other personal information on resumes and other documents. The Ethics Tribunal imposed sanctions on 19 cases and referred 18 cases to the Attorney Generals Office. More than 90% of 1,000 Salvadorans polled said they had little or no trust in government institutions, according to a 2020 survey by global corruption monitor Transparency International. Interested private-sector security managers There were many more bodies buried on the property, Osorio allegedly told police in a confession published June 12 by Salvadoran digital outlet Revista Factum. There are few private hospitals. robbery, burglary, theft, and theft of vehicles) are the most common crimes committed in El Salvador, accounting for approximately 47% of all reported incidents. Most unions functioned independently from the government and political parties, although many generally were aligned with political parties of Nuevas Ideas, GANA, ARENA, and the FMLN.