El Salvador's Lifelong Sentences: A Controversial Amendment

El Salvador's Congress has given the green light to a constitutional amendment that will enable courts to impose life sentences for serious crimes such as murder, rape, and terrorism. This amendment is a key component of President Nayib Bukele's persistent efforts to curb the influence and activities of criminal gangs across the nation.

Under the previous legal framework, while judges could issue sentences exceeding 100 years, the actual incarceration period was limited to a maximum of 60 years. The new reform, which passed with a majority of 59 lawmakers in favor and one opposing, overturns this restriction.

President Bukele, vocal about his administration's tough stance on crime, challenged opposition to the amendment on social media, asserting the necessity of keeping dangerous criminals behind bars indefinitely. The move comes amid international scrutiny following claims of potential human rights violations during Bukele's four-year state of exception, which has seen the detention of over 90,000 individuals, with around 500 deaths in custody.