Soldiers patrol where gangs once ruled
El Salvador city gets glimpse of hope as govt cracks down on criminal groups, writes
Mauricio Gonzalez, an Evangelical pastor in a Salvadoran city overrun with violent street gangs, says life there used to
More than 140 gang members have been arrested during the siege [in two days].
be terrifying.
In his La Campanera neighbourhood of the city of Soyapango, on the outskirts of San Salvador, gangsters threatened to kill him for preaching to young people.
“The gang would not tolerate it. So I left and did not come back,” he said, carrying a Bible in his hand. He said that for a decade now, no one from his church has dared venture into La Campanera, which is home mainly to factory workers.
But that changed this weekend as 10,000 soldiers and police, many armed with assault rifles, surrounded the city and started patrolling its streets, going from house to house to arrest suspected gang members.
President Nayib Bukele announced on Twitter on Sunday that “more than 140 gang members have been arrested [during] the siege” in two days.
Here, the gang that runs things is called Barrio 18, “barrio” meaning neighbourhood. It is one of the most violent gangs in El Salvador.
“Before, not even God could save us from the gangsters. Today is different”, said Mr Gonzalez, 52.
Indeed, on Sunday, he came to La Campanera with about 30 members of his church to preach.
The huge security operation that
NAYIB BUKELE EL SALVADOR PRESIDENT
began Saturday was part of a state of emergency declared by Mr Bukele this spring following a surge in gang violence. He had announced last month a plan to use troops to surround cities while house-by-house searches are conducted for gang members. Soyapango is the first city subjected to that approach.
By Saturday, authorities had reported only 12 arrests in the operation in Soyapango before Mr Bukele reported richer results from the siege.
Police also said on Sunday they had arrested a major Barrio 18 figure. They identified him as Guillermo Alexander Pineda and said he had ordered killings and extortions nationwide.
A group of soldiers took up position on the only street leading into La Campanera on Sunday, searching everyone entering or leaving either on foot on in cars. Others patrolled in armoured cars through narrow streets of cement homes in this working-class area.
Residents walked about looking relaxed and shopped at stands. Before, there were many fewer such vendors, as merchants could not afford the extortion payments gangs demanded.
“Only someone who has not lived here would not realise how different things are now,” said Etelvina Rosas, 36, who was selling fruit. “Today everything is safer. People are daring to do business. You don’t see the young [gang members] in the streets,” she said.
She said she has had to pay off the gangs several times.
Since Mr Bukele declared the state of emergency in March, more than 58,000 suspected gang members have been arrested, the government says, although humanitarian groups have questioned what they say can be heavyhanded tactics.
The state of emergency, which allows detention without court order, followed a surge in violence that claimed 87 lives in March.
Despite opposition from humanitarian groups, the emergency order was extended by Congress to the middle of this month.
Soyapango Mayor Nercy Montano said last week that government actions in the city had brought a huge improvement in safety.