El Salvador threatens prison for media sharing gang messages

By MARCOS ALEMÁN
Associated Press

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — El Salvador’s congress has approved laws that would impose prison sentences of 10 to 15 years for news media that reproduce messages from the country’s street gangs, and that’s alarming press freedom groups. The vote late Tuesday was part of a flurry of legislative action against the gangs. It began after 62 suspected gang killings on March 26 led President Nayib Bukele to seek a state of emergency. Harsh measures against imprisoned gang members and increased prison sentences followed, as well as the arrests of some 6,000 suspected gang members. But the new law expands Bukele’s offensive to the press, another of his frequent targets.