El Salvador's year-long gang crackdown results in thousands locked up in mega-prison.
El Salvador has extended its state of emergency for the 12th time, which suspends certain civil liberties and allows arrests without warrants, government access to private communications, and detentions without the right to a lawyer. The measures have led to around 66,000 arrests in the Central American nation, but human rights groups and United Nations experts have raised serious concerns around violations of due process, arbitrary arrests, and mistreatment of detainees. President Nayib Bukele's government plans to ensure that detainees remain behind bars, particularly in advance of 2024 elections.