Crime & Justice

Two years of silence: How El Salvador's war against gangs has shattered families

The families of more than 84,000 people detained in El Salvador's war against gangs have faced profound hardships, with children being among the most affected.

An inmate looks out from his cell at the Counterterrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) mega-prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador. Home to hundreds of MS-13 and 18th Street gang members, CECOT is the largest prison in Latin America and a key symbol of the war on gangs. [Marvin Recinoa/AFP]
An inmate looks out from his cell at the Counterterrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) mega-prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador. Home to hundreds of MS-13 and 18th Street gang members, CECOT is the largest prison in Latin America and a key symbol of the war on gangs. [Marvin Recinoa/AFP]

By Gaby Chávez |

SAN SALVADOR -- Elena Vasquez has spent two and a half years without seeing her daughter, Claudia, who remains imprisoned in El Salvador alongside 84,260 others detained under the exceptional regime imposed in March 2022 to curb gang violence.

"I haven't heard from my daughter in two years. The last time I saw her was on July 1, 2022," Vasquez told Entorno, wiping away her tears.

The anguish and uncertainty of not knowing her daughter's condition are shared by thousands of families whose loved ones are now behind bars after being part of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18 (18th Street) gangs.

Since her daughter's arrest, Vasquez has taken full responsibility for her three grandchildren, adding to her financial burden -- especially as a single mother of two more children.

A woman carries food and clothes to the Quezaltepeque Penitentiary Center in El Salvador for an incarcerated relative. Families of detainees are permitted to bring a monthly package with nonperishable food, new white clothing, hygiene kits and essential medicines. [Gaby Chávez]
A woman carries food and clothes to the Quezaltepeque Penitentiary Center in El Salvador for an incarcerated relative. Families of detainees are permitted to bring a monthly package with nonperishable food, new white clothing, hygiene kits and essential medicines. [Gaby Chávez]
Inmates remain in a cell at the CECOT mega-prison, where hundreds of members of the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs are being held, in Tecoluca, El Salvador. [Marvin Recinos/AFP]
Inmates remain in a cell at the CECOT mega-prison, where hundreds of members of the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs are being held, in Tecoluca, El Salvador. [Marvin Recinos/AFP]

Struggling to meet her family's basic needs, she now finds herself in an increasingly vulnerable situation.

"I can't afford to bring her a package every month, so I set aside small things from our own food little by little," explained the 46-year-old, who works as a house cleaner in Santiago Nonualco, a small town in La Paz.

Time and money

Families of detainees are allowed to send a monthly package containing nonperishable food, new white clothing, hygiene kits and some medicines.

However, this support comes at a steep cost -- about $250 per package -- while the country's minimum wage stands at just $365 per month.

"You take the package to the prison, they (guards) inspect it at the entrance, they search us and then they take the items -- but I never see them give it to her. I don't even know if Claudia receives them. You send what you can and just have faith," said Vasquez.

But the cost is not just financial -- delivering these packages also requires a significant investment of time and effort from families.

Vasquez must endure a five- to six-hour bus ride from her home to the Apanteos Penitentiary Center in Santa Ana. To make the trip, she saves $20, which covers her journey on Saturday afternoon. Upon arrival, she spends the night on the street alongside other women, hoping to secure a spot at the front of the line on Sunday morning.

She's alive

"I just want to know how she is, if she's healthy, or at least see her, even for a moment. Sometimes, I've dreamed of her coming home," she said while tending to chores in her visibly worn-down home.

Providing for five children on just $15 a day has become an overwhelming challenge, and the constant struggle has already taken a toll on Vasquez's health.

"I should be taking medication for my triglycerides and nerves, but I just can't afford it," she admitted.

A few months ago, Vasquez learned that a woman from her town had been released from the Apanteos Penitentiary Center. Desperate for any news, she sought her out to ask about her daughter.

Although the former detainee had seen Claudia a few times, she could not offer much information since they were held in separate cells.

"At least I know she's alive," Vasquez said.

Claudia, the eldest daughter of the family, was arrested at home on June 28, 2022, by the National Civil Police (PNC).

Mass arrests

By December 31, El Salvador's Security Cabinet reported 84,260 suspects detained since March 2022 under the exceptional regime.

Of those arrested, approximately 8,000 have since been released, according to official sources.

At a news conference earlier this year, authorities also reported the seizure of 10,438 vehicles linked to criminal organizations, 21,616 cell phones and 4,458 firearms.

The PNC also highlighted that between June 1, 2019, and December 31, 2024, the country recorded 798 homicide-free days.

Harsher sentences

On February 7, El Salvador's Congress passed three new laws increasing prison sentences for several common crimes and corruption-related offenses.

The toughest penalties apply to aggravated homicide, where sentences have been raised from 20–30 years to 60 years. Meanwhile, simple homicide now carries a prison term of 25–35 years, up from the previous 15–20 years.

Other crimes, including unlawful deprivation of liberty, rape, sexual assault, theft and robbery, also face stricter penalties under the new legislation.

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