Controversial Juvenile Justice Reform in El Salvador

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has signed into law reforms enabling the sentencing of minors, as young as 12, to life imprisonment for crimes including homicide, terrorism, or rape.

The changes were published in the country's official gazette, set to be enforced from April 26, following Congress's constitutional amendment in March. This amendment removes special judicial procedures for young offenders, although it maintains provisions for periodic reviews and potential supervised release.

Critics, including the United Nations human rights office, argue that these measures violate children's rights. However, President Bukele claims the previous legal framework allowed juvenile criminals too much leniency. The reforms emerge amid a state of emergency declared by Bukele, resulting in the detention of over 90,000 people and reports of deaths in state custody.