President Bukele sparked controversy over the weekend after
extending coronavirus measures without approval by congress.
El Salvador’s Supreme Court said on Monday that it had ordered
the immediate suspension of the state of emergency declared by
President Nayib Bukele over the coronavirus.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on Saturday night declared a
state of emergency to extend coronavirus measures without approval
by congress, touching off a torrent of criticism that the move had
been unconstitutional.
Salvadoran legislators and prosecutors said Bukele’s Saturday
announcement had overstepped his powers.
Less than a year into his administration, Bukele, a brash
38-year-old leader, has repeatedly angered rights groups, who say
he has shown authoritarian tendencies. In February, Bukele and a
group of soldiers armed with automatic weapons briefly occupied
congress. Last month, he released startling photos of hundreds of
jailed gang members stripped to underwear and pressed together
information, horrifying advocates.
Congress approved an emergency declaration in March to respond
to the coronavirus pandemic, but after an extension in April, the
measure was due to expire on Sunday. Legislators planned to discuss
an extension when they reconvened on Monday.
Shortly after Bukele issued his decree on Saturday, the
Salvadoran attorney general said in a statement that it would file
a suit alleging that the move was unconstitutional with the
country’s top court. But Bukele, who swept to the presidency last
year with an outsider candidacy, maintained he was well within his
rights.
“All presidents in the democratic history of our country have
had the power to declare a state of emergency and have exercised
it, without legislative approval,” he wrote in a post on Twitter on
Sunday. “Will a president be prevented for the first time from
exercising that vital power?”
Bukele’s administration maintains that a civil protection law
authorises the president to declare a state of emergency if
congress cannot hold a session.
They contend that the risk of the coronavirus spreading further
in El Salvador justifies the measures. The country has 1,413
confirmed cases of the virus and 30 deaths. Health experts say the
country’s health system is not equipped to handle a surge in
cases.
‘Serious setback’
Legislators and civil society groups urged an investigation to
determine whether Bukele had exceeded his powers.
“What would an autocrat do if Congress did not pass a law on his
behalf? I would issue a decree. This has just been done by the
young Salvadoran leader (Nayib Bukele) with the state of emergency.
Another serious setback,” Jose Vivanco, executive director for the
Americas for US-based Human Rights Watch, wrote on Twitter.
In recent days, Salvadorans in the capital have protested
measures taken during the quarantine, which they say have led to
job losses and hunger. To avoid breaking social distancing rules,
they voice their discontent by banging pots, honking the horns of
their vehicles and playing loud music.
Fabricio Benitez, a 26-year-old musician who lives with his
parents and sister on the outskirts of San Salvador, said that his
father, a soil engineer, lost his job a month ago after his
company’s operations were affected by the pandemic.
“We are subsisting on fairly scarce funds, and we have not
benefitted in any way from government programmes,” Benitez said on
Friday as he played the Salvadoran national anthem on his
viola.
SOURCE: REUTERS NEWS AGENCY
President Bukele sparked controversy over the weekend after
extending coronavirus measures without approval by congress.
El Salvador’s Supreme Court said on Monday that it had ordered
the immediate suspension of the state of emergency declared by
President Nayib Bukele over the coronavirus.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on Saturday night declared a
state of emergency to extend coronavirus measures without approval
by congress, touching off a torrent of criticism that the move had
been unconstitutional.
Salvadoran legislators and prosecutors said Bukele’s Saturday
announcement had overstepped his powers.
Less than a year into his administration, Bukele, a brash
38-year-old leader, has repeatedly angered rights groups, who say
he has shown authoritarian tendencies. In February, Bukele and a
group of soldiers armed with automatic weapons briefly occupied
congress. Last month, he released startling photos of hundreds of
jailed gang members stripped to underwear and pressed together
information, horrifying advocates.
Congress approved an emergency declaration in March to respond
to the coronavirus pandemic, but after an extension in April, the
measure was due to expire on Sunday. Legislators planned to discuss
an extension when they reconvened on Monday.
Shortly after Bukele issued his decree on Saturday, the
Salvadoran attorney general said in a statement that it would file
a suit alleging that the move was unconstitutional with the
country’s top court. But Bukele, who swept to the presidency last
year with an outsider candidacy, maintained he was well within his
rights.
“All presidents in the democratic history of our country have
had the power to declare a state of emergency and have exercised
it, without legislative approval,” he wrote in a post on Twitter on
Sunday. “Will a president be prevented for the first time from
exercising that vital power?”
Bukele’s administration maintains that a civil protection law
authorises the president to declare a state of emergency if
congress cannot hold a session.
They contend that the risk of the coronavirus spreading further
in El Salvador justifies the measures. The country has 1,413
confirmed cases of the virus and 30 deaths. Health experts say the
country’s health system is not equipped to handle a surge in
cases.
‘Serious setback’
Legislators and civil society groups urged an investigation to
determine whether Bukele had exceeded his powers.
“What would an autocrat do if Congress did not pass a law on his
behalf? I would issue a decree. This has just been done by the
young Salvadoran leader (Nayib Bukele) with the state of emergency.
Another serious setback,” Jose Vivanco, executive director for the
Americas for US-based Human Rights Watch, wrote on Twitter.
In recent days, Salvadorans in the capital have protested
measures taken during the quarantine, which they say have led to
job losses and hunger. To avoid breaking social distancing rules,
they voice their discontent by banging pots, honking the horns of
their vehicles and playing loud music.
Fabricio Benitez, a 26-year-old musician who lives with his
parents and sister on the outskirts of San Salvador, said that his
father, a soil engineer, lost his job a month ago after his
company’s operations were affected by the pandemic.
“We are subsisting on fairly scarce funds, and we have not
benefitted in any way from government programmes,” Benitez said on
Friday as he played the Salvadoran national anthem on his
viola.
SOURCE: REUTERS NEWS AGENCY