US expresses deep concern to Bukele over removal of judicial officials in El Salvador

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, expressed on Sunday, May 2, to the President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, his “deep concern” about the decision of the Legislative Assembly of that country to dismiss the judges of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court and the Attorney General, Raúl Melara.

In a telephone conversation, Blinken said that “an independent judiciary is essential for democratic governance” and defended that Melara is “fighting corruption and impunity” and “is an effective partner” to fight crime “both in the United States and in El Salvador,” according to a statement released by State Department spokesman Ned Price.

Blinken added the note, highlighting ” the United States’ commitment to improving conditions in El Salvador” by strengthening democratic institutions and the separation of powers, defending a free press and a vibrant civil society, and supporting the private sector.

All of this, said the head of U.S. diplomacy, depends on the rule of law to “grow a successful future for the Salvadoran people”.

This Saturday, the ruling party took the reins of the Salvadoran Parliament for the period 2021-2024 and, in its first action, voted to dismiss the magistrates of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court and the attorney general, officials with whom Bukele had clashed during the last year.

Juan González, U.S. President Joe Biden’s top adviser on Latin America, weighed in on the situation on Saturday, as did Acting Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Julie Chung.

“This is not the way to do it,” Gonzalez wrote in Spanish on his Twitter account.

Chung, for her part, indicated on the same social network that “the existence of a strong relationship between the United States and El Salvador will depend on the Government of El Salvador supporting the separation of powers and upholding democratic norms.”

The Organization of American States (OAS), based in Washington, rejected this Sunday the removal of judicial authorities in El Salvador and also the actions of the Executive led by Bukele “that guided these decisions”.

The OAS pronouncement was joined by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), which asked the Salvadoran State to respect the sentence of the Constitutional Chamber that declared “unconstitutional the resolution of the Assembly” and to guarantee “the separation of powers and the democratic order”.