El Salvador has enacted a controversial new law allowing authorities to sentence minors as young as 12 to life imprisonment for serious crimes, including homicide, terrorism and rape. The legislation is set to take effect on April 26.
The measure forms part of a broader crackdown on gang violence led by President Nayib Bukele, whose administration has implemented a series of hardline security policies. While the government argues the reforms are necessary to combat crime, critics warn they could lead to significant human rights violations.
Since March 2022, the country has been under a prolonged state of emergency, granting expanded powers to police and the military while suspending certain civil liberties. Initially intended to last 30 days, the emergency has been extended repeatedly, during which more than 90,000 people have been detained.
Human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, estimate that nearly 1.9 percent of the population is currently imprisoned—one of the highest incarceration rates globally. Concerns have also been raised over detainees being held without charges and the use of mass trials, which can process up to 900 individuals at once.
The constitutional amendment enabling life sentences for minors was approved in March by the legislature, which is dominated by Bukele’s Nuevas Ideas party. Bukele defended the move publicly, criticizing opponents as being lenient on violent crime.
However, international organizations, including UNICEF, have expressed deep concern. They warn that life imprisonment for children could have severe long-term impacts on development and contradict international standards that prioritize rehabilitation and reintegration.
The law removes certain legal protections for youth offenders, though it allows for periodic sentence reviews and the possibility of supervised release.
Human rights monitors continue to urge the Salvadoran government to reconsider its emergency measures. A recent report by the International Group of Experts for the Investigation of Human Rights Violations alleged that widespread and systematic abuses may have occurred, with even President Bukele acknowledging that thousands of detainees could be innocent.
