Funes extends army public security role

President Mauricio Funes today announced that the presence of Salvadoran soldiers in the streets to fight crime will be extended and expanded. From the Latin American Herald Tribune:
Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes announced Friday a one-year extension of the deployment of troops to help police battle crime.

“The military presence in the streets has had a very positive impact, all the opinion polls reflect that,” he told members of the armed forces at an event marking the Day of the Soldier.

Funes said he was expanding from 19 to 29 the number of zones to be patrolled by soldiers.

“We trust that in these 12 months they (the troops) bring the results the population hopes for,” he said, stressing that the “participation of the armed forces, while very valuable, must be seen only as an exceptional measure.”

Besides participating in joint patrols with the National Police, troops will have a role in patrolling the country's borders and will be deployed within some of the country's most dangerous prisons.

Comments

"Besides participating in joint patrols with the National Police, troops will have a role in patrolling the country's borders and will be deployed within some of the country's most dangerous prisons."

They're (officially) bringing back the PN? Nothing would surprise me.
El-Visitador said…
Ha ha ha.

Funny thing, when so-called "righty" governments do it, it's a scandal, nazism is back, etc. When lefty governments do it, oh well, the situation demands it.

By the way I think it's a bad idea, won't accomplish anything, and it's a symptom of a government out of ideas as to how to control crime and violence.

It'd be better to bring capital punishment back
Greg said…
Funes has little room to manuver at this point. As always there is idealistic "wouldn't it be nice?" and "ground truth", which is how the world really is on a day to day basis. The FMLN centric has become a capitalist based economy (once again) and its leadership will, as historically is the case, do anything and everything to hold onto their power, influence, and riches.