Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
San Salvador (Agenzia Fides) – The Catholic Church in El Salvador has expressed support for a new law proposed by the government to punish members of death gangs or death squads. “I wish to congratulate President Mauricio Funes and the executive for the proposed law "antimaras", which I believe is a good solution", said the Archbishop of San Salvador, Mgr José Luis Escobar Alas, with regard to the "law prohibiting death gangs or death squads". The Archbishop was speaking at his usual Sunday media conference.
Aware that the law will not resolve the whole situation, the Archbishop stressed the need to “improve the legal aspect, the juridical aspect and the aspect of investigation into crime ”. Archbishop Escobar Alas, reading an open letter addressed to President Funes, said the country's Bishops “once again express profound concern for the violence of which El Salvador suffers", and that the Bishops were “close to those who suffer because of this plague" which takes an average of 13 lives every day.
The government has presented Parliament with a proposed law of nine articles prohibiting “the existence, legalisation, financing and support of illegal associations or organisations known as Maras, or death gangs or squads, such as Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-trece, Pandilla Dieciocho, Mara Maquina, Mara Mao Mao, Sombra Negra or XGN”. The government has also proposed changes in the country's penal code to increase punishment for members of such groups to sentences of up to eight years in prison. “This antimaras law must be discussed very seriously and the right decisions made regarding such an important issue ”, said Archbishop Escobar Alas.
In recent months gangs (maras) attacked public transport demanding hostage money and setting fire to at least 18 buses. In the most recent episode (see Fides 30 June 2010) 10 passengers were burned alive. (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 13/07/2010)
