El Salvador's Bukele signs reform allowing life prison sentences for people as young as 12

>Previously, the maximum sentence in El Salvador was 60 years for adults and less for youths. The reforms slated to take effect April 26 would create new criminal courts to try cases. They also stipulate a mandatory review of life terms decades into the sentences, depending on the age of the convict and the gravity of their crimes. >Following a burst of gang violence in 2022, Bukele announced a then-temporary state of emergency, which has become the new normal in the Central American nation as it’s been extended for years. He suspended constitutional rights and locked up more than 1% of El Salvador’s population, often on vague charges with little evidence. Prisoners are often judged in mass trials and lawyers regularly lose track of where their clients are. >It’s fueled accusations of human rights abuses and arbitrary detention, but also sharply dipped homicide rates in a country long terrorized by gangs, handing Bukele soaring popularity levels.

guess the maras will have to train toddlers to use a gun then.

I think non-Salvadorians fundamentally misunderstand what El Salvador used to be like versus what it’s like now. This guy’s approval rating is off the charts and the reason for that is basically wiped out violent crime

Here in Mexico two girls in the age of 15 and 13 years old murdered a “friend” who was also 15 years old because she “stole” the other 15yo boyfriend. The 15 yo was convicted only with 2 years and 10 months, and the 13yo was convicted to 11 months probation. They planed, perpetrated, recorded, and buried the victim in the backyard and lie the girls mother about don’t see her that day. I’m sorry but having under 18 didn’t make you a good person who committed a mistake.

As if 12 year olds could grasp what that really means and think twice.

Under a 1935 Soviet decree during the Stalin era, criminal responsibility was lowered to age 12 for minors accused of serious offenses. These youth were tried in adult courts and subjected to full adult penalties. I guess someone was inspired.

He will soon propose the death penalty for gang members and drug trafficking supporters (political enemies).

Sounds very expensive both for direct cost of prison and indirect cost of taking citizens out of productive economy

Oh look Americans pretending to know how it is living In a gang infested country.

Not justifying anything but most of the killing and extortions were done by kids age 12 even younger.

Who in the hell dubbed the term “world’s coolest dictator” for this guy?

More south americans countries should have this. So many kids just gething away with murder, torture, deadly pranks, etc. And most just get a slap in the wrist.

eventually this "president" will reward people for accusing their neighbors of being gang members, whether they are or not.

This is the model that plenty of right-wingers in the US want to copy, seriously. It really shows just how cruel and unimaginative they are when the best solution they can come up with is building megajails and locking people up. From “Alligator Alcatraz,” to converting old warehouses into immigration detention centers, to Trump’s half-baked plan to reopen the ORIGINAL Alcatraz, there’s a clear pattern. They’re obsessed with prisons and the idea of punishing criminals, and their definition of “criminal” is rather flexible.  Remember when they “joked” about sending Obama or Hillary Clinton to Guantanamo Bay to face justice for all the evil crimes they definitely committed? That was before CECOT captured their fancy. Bukele was enough of a madman to actually implement the “just lock everyone up and sort it out later” conservative fever-dream, human rights and due process be damned. Of course they want their own equivalent now. When the mass-arrests first started in El Salvador, you could observe them getting hard over it in real time. Because that’s what they wish they were allowed to do with various groups in the US. “But look! It WORKED for El Salvador!” they’d say. Uh huh. There is probably no end to the insane bullshit that can be made to appear superficially successful if you simply don’t care about the human cost of making it look that way.  Bukele: “Look everyone! I single-handedly solved gang violence forever, and all it took was giving me absolute power to disappear anyone I want into my shiny new Superjail, where they’ll probably never be heard from again! Even if their only crime was having suspicious tattoos! But anyway, isn’t that a FAIR tradeoff?” Bukele stans: “Hell yeah, sign me up!” 

I was 12 once. I didn’t think about raping or hurting people.

ITT: lots of people who seem to think the only solution to gang violence is full on dictatorship. He's only extended his "emergency" powers 49 times, I'm sure he'll give it up any day now and give people their rights back.

There are 12, 13, 14, and 15 year olds who have done serious serial killer/rapist shit

Now now, in El Salvador twelve is middle age.

Lol - new gang taking over, they just wear badges.

This guy should have a life sentence. He’s evil.

[ Removed by Listnook ]

That’s sending messages for all teens ? Begins with parents at home ?

Americans an Europeans will never understand what it is like live in a gang or cartel infested country. They are the only ones who oppose this. The same people who install ring cameras everywere and own guns in countries with the lowest murder rates 🤷🏼

Always seems like El Salvador and Israel get a pass on this website. Weird. This is stuff that would get a very negative reaction most anywhere else.

Wouldn't death squads be more economical? Or is this actually for procuring slave labour? Disclaimer: I am not advocating for death squads.

Gangs often use children as hitmen, kids get out at 18 and their families get paid. Will probably discourage that trend.

Bukekele

I’ll be curious how this goes. And correct me if I’m wrong because I don’t know their court system. I would assume the judge has some level of discretion here. Not all 12 years old would get life prison. There might be a scale on the severity of the sentence based on the insanity of the crime?

Creating a literal prison state.

There's your "world's coolest dictator". As a Salvadoran-American, this dude is a complete disgrace, even if the streets are safer or whatnot.

Then what? Have 12 year die in prison of old age. The cycle won’t stop. This guy just pulled a dictatorship move that North Korea has in place and people rejoice?

Minors are being used as hitmen by criminals in multiple countries due to a variety of reasons. Allowing them to be judged as adults is logical Knowing that murder is wrong is universal, if they cant even understand that they are a danger to everyone around them and should remain jailed