El Salvador Roundup: Migrants apprehended, traffic accidents, voting abroad, deceased inmates

49 people lost their lives in traffic accidents during the holidays

According to Diario El Mundo, El Salvador's Civil Protection Direction reported 49 deaths and 337 injuries in traffic accidents from Saturday, December 23, to Sunday, December 31, 2023. Luis Amaya, the Director of Civil Protection, announced on Monday that the number of injuries from traffic accidents increased from 252 in 2022 to 337 in the same period of 2023, representing a 33% rise. Additionally, the number of individuals arrested for reckless driving (or driving under the influence of alcohol or substances) doubled from 68 in 2022 to 135 by the end of 2023.

Salvadorans abroad can start casting votes on January 6th

Diario El Mundo reports that on January 6th, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) and the Spanish company Indra will launch an electronic remote voting system, allowing the Salvadoran diaspora to start voting. In contrast, people in El Salvador will go to the polls on February 4th. Eligible voters abroad can cast their ballots for the President, Vice President, and 60 members of the Legislative Assembly. However, they will not be able to vote in the municipal or the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) elections. The voting process will begin at 7:00 AM local time in El Salvador, lasting for 30 days starting on January 6, 2024, until the national elections on February 4, 2024. Salvadorans abroad have been able to vote in presidential elections since 2014. However, a new Voting Abroad Law was approved in 2022, extending the right to vote abroad to legislative elections. 

El Salvador’s national football team has a new head coach

David Dóniga Lara is the new head coach of El Salvador’s national football team, as reported by El Gráfico. The 42-year-old coach, who previously trained Panamanian teams, takes charge of “La Selecta,” as locals call their national team, less than 19 days before the friendly match against Inter Miami, Lionel Messi’s squad. Dóniga Lara will be the third head coach in three months, and his naming comes at a time when there are tensions between the national football federation (Fesfut) and the National Institute for Sports, a government entity that has tried to extend its grip over national football. Two years ago, FIFA had to intervene before El Salvador was expelled from international competitions due to government interference. FIFA then named a temporary directorate at Fesfut, but its popularity remains low due to poor results. 

Thousands of inmates have died since 2013

In the past decade, 1,383 inmates have died under custody of the state, La Prensa Gráfica reports. Many of those corpses showed signs of violence. Official records from the General Directorate of Prisons (DGCP) indicate that from 2013 to 2018, at least 121 died due to violent causes. Human rights organizations report that during the state of emergency in place since March 2022, 60% of the deceased in prisons showed signs of torture and physical abuse. According to DGCP data, from January 2013 to February 2021, 850 inmates lost their lives, either due to illness or confrontations between criminal groups. Additionally, there were 185 cases where the cause of death was not determined.

Over 7,300 Salvadorans were apprehended at the US southern border in November

According to El Diario de Hoy, in November 2023 alone 7,389 Salvadorans were apprehended at the United States southern border while trying to enter the country irregularly. This is the highest number of encounters since July 2022 (7,952). About 13% of those apprehended (961) were unaccompanied minors, 101 more than in October and the highest figure in one year. According to testimonies of Salvadorans arrested at the border, the primary reason for travelling illegally to the U.S. is the challenging economic situation they face in their home country.