El Salvador experiencing 'alarming regression' on human rights -report

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele speaks while giving a message on national television in San Salvador, El Salvador, in this handout picture released on November 28, 2023. Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via REUTERS

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - El Salvador has seen "an alarming regression" of human rights protections during President Nayib Bukele's government, a trend that has intensified under a sweeping anti-gang crackdown, Amnesty International said in a report published on Tuesday.

Bukele has enjoyed widespread popularity since taking office in 2019, due in part to a state of emergency declared last year that has wrested control from criminal groups while eliciting criticism for the suspension of some constitutional rights.