El Salvador president orders arrest of of bus company heads for defying free transport order

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — El Salvador President Nayib Bukele ordered constabulary via societal media connected Monday to apprehension 5 heads of autobus companies successful the Central American state aft they defied his bid to connection escaped transport for a week pursuing a large road closure.

The bid was different illustration of Bukele's heavy-handed tactics. The second-term person has been accused of undermining antiauthoritarian institutions, punishing dissenters and denying entree to owed process nether a “state of emergency” that helium declared successful 2022 to conflict the country's almighty thoroughfare gangs. Despite the crackdown, the authorities has denied the state is simply a constabulary state.

On Sunday, Bukele had announced via X that each autobus fares for a week would beryllium wholly escaped owed to operation the authorities was carrying retired connected 1 of the main highways moving done San Salvador.

The bid resulted successful wide chaos connected Monday, fueling agelong autobus lines successful the Salvadoran superior and overcrowded buses that skipped stops connected a fig of routes.

In response, Bukele ordered the seizure of 5 heads of autobus companies Monday, accusing them of “sabotaging the country.” He claimed that the authorities was covering “100% of the income they usually person per day,” but The Associated Press was not instantly capable to verify the accusation with autobus drivers.

“The National Civil Police should proceed with the apprehension of the owners of the routes involved,” Bukele wrote connected a societal media post. “No 1 is supra the law.”

Later Monday, the country's national constabulary section posted photos of the handcuffed men surrounded by heavy equipped officers, saying they had been detained for “breach of duty, denial of assistance, and extortion,” providing fewer details connected their arrests.

The National Transportation Committee, which represents the companies involved, said successful a connection that they were amazed by the arrests. They blamed disorder connected immoderate routes connected the information that the escaped rides had been announced conscionable a time earlier and they weren’t capable to notify everyone.

Luis Regalado, a subordinate of the commercialized group, said that galore of the drivers are paid regular and were unclear connected however they would beryllium paid oregon by whom.

Lucio Vázquez, the group’s secretary, appealed to Bukele, saying they had been partners with his administration. “We are not saying that we’re not going to proceed giving escaped service,” helium said.

It comes arsenic Bukele has gained an planetary spotlight for detaining much than 200 Venezuelan deportees from the U.S. successful a “mega-prison” for gangs contempt objections by American judges and quality rights groups.

Bukele, who has soaring popularity successful El Salvador due to the fact that of his harsh crackdown connected the country's gangs, has faced crisp disapproval for years by planetary leaders, lawyers and quality rights groups, which impeach him of denying citizens owed process, violating the country's constitution by seeking reelection and consolidating power.

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