Delaying Justice for Victims is Protecting the Perpetrators of War Crimes

The Salvadoran state continues to fail the victims of war crimes while protecting those responsible for various crimes committed during the armed conflict, including crimes against humanity, by delaying judicial proceedings, blocking the release of military documents, and now archiving draft legislation on behalf of the victims.

The Security and Justice Commission of the Legislative Assembly archived last Monday, May 13, the draft law on transitional justice submitted by civil society organizations, as well as the draft laws on the search, location, and protection of disappeared persons and another on the rights of indigenous peoples.

In doing so, the newly sworn-in Legislative Assembly turns its back on the victims. It demonstrates a blatant disregard for the hard work done by different organizations and groups of victims who participated in the drafting of the proposed laws. This action, in turn, ignores resolutions of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court as well as international bodies such as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

There is still an urgent need to seek justice for the victims of the state, especially in a country that has denied truth and reparations to dozens of families after decades of fighting for the memory of their loved ones. An example of this is the case of El Mozote, one of the largest massacres in Latin America.

Some cases have been waiting for justice for more than 40 years. If the judicial and legislative bodies are on the side of the victims, then they must speed up the process to bring the perpetrators to justice. Furthermore, if the government is committed to truth and justice, it should open the military archives.

In light of these decisions that violate the right to truth and justice of all Salvadorans, Cristosal will continue to support the victims as it has done for more than two decades because our commitment is to a better country, which can only be built with justice and reparations.

The Salvadoran state continues to fail the victims of war crimes while protecting those responsible for various crimes committed during the armed conflict, including crimes against humanity, by delaying judicial proceedings, blocking the release of military documents, and now archiving draft legislation on behalf of the victims.

The Security and Justice Commission of the Legislative Assembly archived last Monday, May 13, the draft law on transitional justice submitted by civil society organizations, as well as the draft laws on the search, location, and protection of disappeared persons and another on the rights of indigenous peoples.

In doing so, the newly sworn-in Legislative Assembly turns its back on the victims. It demonstrates a blatant disregard for the hard work done by different organizations and groups of victims who participated in the drafting of the proposed laws. This action, in turn, ignores resolutions of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court as well as international bodies such as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

There is still an urgent need to seek justice for the victims of the state, especially in a country that has denied truth and reparations to dozens of families after decades of fighting for the memory of their loved ones. An example of this is the case of El Mozote, one of the largest massacres in Latin America.

Some cases have been waiting for justice for more than 40 years. If the judicial and legislative bodies are on the side of the victims, then they must speed up the process to bring the perpetrators to justice. Furthermore, if the government is committed to truth and justice, it should open the military archives.

In light of these decisions that violate the right to truth and justice of all Salvadorans, Cristosal will continue to support the victims as it has done for more than two decades because our commitment is to a better country, which can only be built with justice and reparations.