After sanctioning five Supreme Court justices, the United States warns that democracy in El Salvador is in decline

The top US diplomat in El Salvador, Jean Manes, said on Tuesday that sees “a decline of democracy” in this Central American country, where President Nayib Bukele changed his Twitter profile to be called “The coolest dictator in the world.”

The United States included yesterday five magistrates of the highest jurisdiction on a list of people who undermine democracy. In May, the new Legislative Assembly dominated by Bukele’s party dismissed the magistrates of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice and of the General Prosecutor.

Judges sanctioned They cannot get a visa to travel to or enter the United States if they have already had one. The decision affects only those on the list, but the charge d’affaires of the US embassy Jean Manes He said they have other tools they can use to include their family members.

“From the United States we support the presidential elections here in this country which has a democratically elected president. Like the international community, we are also supporting the elections in February this year. What do we see now? It’s a decline of their democracy and that’s exactly what is happeningManes said on a local TV talk show.

On your Twitter account Bukele criticized the US measures the day before and said the list “has NOTHING to do with ‘corruption’, but is pure politics and meddling from the lowest.”

Meanwhile, the president changed their profile on Twitter and his name was “Dictator of El Salvador” in what some considered a I play to ridicule those who present themselves as authoritarian. His opponents saw this as a childish attitude. Then he made another change to name himself in his profile on the same social network “The coolest dictator in the world.”

Bukele was surprised that the list did not include opponents from his country or officials from Honduras. He later added in another tweet: “We are nobody’s ‘backyard’.”

Manes explained that decided to withdraw visas from magistrates because they agreed to take office in an unconstitutional manner “And of course, decisions are made against its own constitution, like allowing the re-election of its president, which is clearly not allowed by the constitution.”

On May 1, when he takes up his post, the current Legislative Assembly dismissed with a stroke of a pen the five magistrates of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice and the Attorney General, a measure seen as a blow to institutionality. That same night, the plenary session of the Assembly chose and sworn in five magistrates and the new attorney general.

The diplomat acknowledged that sanctioning the judges of the Supreme Court of Justice “is undoubtedly a strong decision” this has been discussed for a long time in Washington.

Manes regretted the situation because “We were all hoping to see something new, something different, a big change, but these things present a decline of democracy ”.

Among the signs he mentioned the consolidation of power, weakening of judicial independence, attack on political opposition and independent media, a state propaganda communication apparatus and the closing of spaces for civil society, among others.

Brief statements to the press the diplomat reiterated the will of the United States to continue to contribute to El Salvador.

“On our side, from the United States government, we are committed to El Salvador and to Salvadorans and we will continue to try to find a way to work in common spaces, ”he said.

(With AP information)

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