The U.S. embassy’s chief of staff in El Salvador, the United Nations resident coordinator in El Salvador, the Office of the Attorney General for the Defense of Human Rights and political parties condemned the armed attack in which two FMLN activists.
An FMLN caravan returning from a rally in the Colonies of District II of San Salvador was attacked at around 06:25 am yesterday Sunday, between 11 Avenida Norte and 1 Carrer Ponent in the center of San Salvador.
The attack claimed the lives of two people and injured two others. Preliminarily it is handled that the names of the murders are Glòria Rogel del Cid and Joan de Déu Tejada.
The press and officials of the FMLN, such as the general secretary of the party Óscar Ortiz and the deputies Nidia Díaz and Yanci Urbina, were present last night in emergencies of the Rosales Hospital where the rest of the injured were.
The group of efemelenistas militants was returning from a meeting when it was attacked in center of the capital by strangers. FMLN Secretary Oscar Ortiz has branded the fact as a result of the hatred promoted by President Bukele.
Faced with the fact and at a press conference, Ortiz called for support from the international community and said the facts are a product of the “hate speech” handled by the Government.
“We are outraged. We want to condemn this terrorist act. On behalf of our party we sent a message of repudiation, of condemnation, for this vile criminal act that this day was perpetrated by a group of armed men in a car, who deliberately crossed paths in front of the vehicle carrying our fellow militants, ”he said.
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But what most outraged the leader were President Nayib Bukele’s statements about the attack.
“It looks like the dying parties have launched their latest plan. What a desperation not to lose their privileges and their corruption. I thought they couldn’t fall lower, but they fell,” Bukele said through his account. from Twitter.
These statements led to Ortiz calling Bukele the “most rapist” president in the country’s history and he said that “sooner or later, this violence will get to him.”
By 11:06 a.m. Police reported five captured. Three of them were driving in a blue sedan and are the main suspects in shooting at the militants. Two are admitted to the emergency room of the Surgical Medical Hospital.
One of those involved is a member of the Protection of Important Personalities (PPI) assigned to the Ministry of Health. This was reported by Bukele on Twitter. In his opinion he had just witnessed a football match at the Cuscatlán Stadium.
Bukele also said that among the five captured are two FMLN militants who appear to be “suspected of firing on the PPI.” However, the general secretary of the party said that none of the members of the caravan were walking armed.
The Attorney General, Raúl Melara, was also present at Rosales Hospital emergencies, saying that he is working together with the Police in the investigations. Similarly he has added that the fact cannot be repeated again.
“This is serious. The election contest cannot turn into a bloodbath.”
A meeting of the general secretaries of all political parties with Melara is scheduled for this day.
The US, the United Nations and political parties condemned the attack
U.S. Embassy business manager El Salvador Brendan O’Brien condemned the double homicide and said he was ready to support the prosecution in the investigation into the incident.
“As the U.S. embassy we express our sincere condolences to the victims of the attacks. Any violence is unacceptable and those responsible must be brought to justice.”
While the UN resident coordinator in El Salvador and Belize, Birgit Gerstenberg, urged the Salvadoran authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into what has happened.
In El Salvador, deputies from the other benches joined the complaints.
“The president’s hate speech generates violence and death. This afternoon comrades from the FMLN were attacked in the center of San Salvador. The Prosecutor’s Office must act immediately, the assassins will not control the Assembly. We swear to win.” stated FMLN leader Lorena Penya on her Twitter.
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While the president of the National Executive Council (COENA) Erick Salguero condemned the attacks and assured the prosecutor his presence at the meeting that day.
“ARENA strongly condemns political violence, which attacks security, life, democracy and human rights. These actions are the visible result of incitement to hatred, intolerance and division.”
The chairman of the legislature, Mario Ponce, also joined the allegations, while at the same time demanding the functionality of the state through an “in-depth investigation”.
Similarly, the Office for the Defense of Human Rights posted on Twitter: “We strongly condemn the criminal action taken against FMLN militants, who were victims of a gun attack, in the afternoon of this Sunday, in the center of San Salvador. The fact happened after they returned of a meeting “, published the institution.
The vehicle in which the protesters were moving was parked for hours outside Rosales Hospital.
Inside was a half-hung banner of the candidate for mayor of San Salvador, Rogelio Canals; a pair of shoes, broken glasses and blood.
Police wrapped yellow tape around the vehicle. While FMLN leaders, relatives of the militants and the press were outside the hospital.
A policeman guarding the scene said that there were cameras in the place where the people were attacked.
Meanwhile, the only evidence in the opinion of the Eye Inspectors was the bullet casings and the rest of the blood that showed the attack.
Three detainees suspected of perpetrating an attack on the FMLN caravan, according to the Public Prosecutor’s Office