AMERICA/EL SALVADOR - A review of the entire system of public security is necessary to curb violence

San Salvador (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic Church in El Salvador, in the words of the Archbishop of San Salvador, has asked the government to review all the institutions involved in public security system in order to take effective measures to curb violent crime that plagues the country. "It is necessary to review the action context, namely, the legal framework, the National Civil Police, and therefore the entire system, all the institutions involved. At the time of doing this review, important decisions have to be taken, not only for what concerns the punishment of crimes, but with regards to prevention", said the Archbishop of San Salvador, Mgr. José Luis Escobar Alas. The Church had already expressed her concern about it previously (see Fides 07/11/2011). In the usual press conference after Sunday Mass, celebrated in the Cathedral of the capital, the Archbishop recalled that the issue of criminal violence "has become the biggest problem of the nation" and this requires "the whole system to be revised in order to resolve this situation".
Violent criminality leads to a daily average of 12 murders and countless cases of armed robbery on the street or on public transport buses (see Fides 28/10/2011). The Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes is considering the name for the new Minister of Justice and Public Safety following the resignation last week, on behalf of Manuel Melgar. The new Minister will also be responsible for the planning and promotion of actions against organized crime. "The problem is very serious, complex, but we must find a solution. We cannot ignore the problem, but we need to find a permanent solution, an action to get out of this situation", said Archbishop Escobar Alas. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 21/11/2011)