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El Salvador police arrest 55,000 suspected gang members

Authorities said on Friday (Oct 14), police in El Salvador have arrested more than 55,000 alleged gang members since President Nayib Bukele declared a "war" on criminal groups seven months ago.
Gustavo Villatoro, the country's minister of justice said, "There have been more than 55,000 captures" of alleged gang members since March, when the government was handed emergency powers to arrest such suspects without a warrant.
The number of arrests comes on top of 16,000 that had already been made before the emergency powers were granted.
The wave of detentions is unprecedented in the country of 6.5 million people, which has suffered decades of violent crime driven by powerful gangs such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18.
But, since president Nayib Bukele came to power, El Salvador implements strong security measures endorsed by the Constitution, such as the emergency regime that after four months has allowed the imprisonment of more than 47,000 gang members who were the ones who caused anxiety and insecurity in neighborhoods and communities and who could now face at least 20 years in prison just for being gang members.

Earlier in July, a survey said that 90% of the Salvadorans expressed not having been victims of crime.
Villatoro said as he sought the seventh extension of the emergency powers: "We are winning the war (against organized crime) and we will continue to deploy thousands of police and soldiers every day to arrest these terrorists.”
El Salvador went from being world's most dangerous country to among safest: President
Villatoro added that police and military forces have seized 1,644 firearms, 2,026 vehicles, 12,842 cell phones and $1.2 million.
To cope with an influx of inmates, El Salvador's judicial authorities are building a huge prison for 40,000 suspected criminals in Tecoluca, a rural area in the center of the country.
The detention center is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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