El Salvador Police Chief Dies in Helicopter Crash

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Facts

  • El Salvador's police chief, Police Director-General Mauricio Arriaza Chicas, was one of nine killed when a military helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff near the border with Honduras on Sunday.[1]
  • Director Arriaza Chicas was central in government efforts to eradicate gang violence in El Salvador, during which he oversaw a push to jail thousands.[2]
  • President Nayib Bukele lauded the late police chief for being 'a fundamental piece in bringing peace and security to our people.' The president also asked for international assistance to examine the cause of the crash.[2]
  • When the crash occurred, Mr. Arriaza had been escorting Manuel Coto, a fugitive former bank director who was in custody in Honduras under accusation of embezzling $35 million from an El Salvador credit union. The crash also claimed the lives of two high-ranking commissioners, two military personnel, and two pilots.[3][4]
  • The crash also claimed the life of the justice ministry's chief of communications David Cruz, according to the state-run Canal 10 TV channel.[5]
  • Additionally, according to the government, the elimination of gangs and associated criminal activity is nearly complete, and this event should not negatively impact efforts to fight gang crime.[6]

Sources: [1]BBC News, [2]New York Times, [3]Yahoo News, [4]RFI, [5]Raw Story and [6]ABC News.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Raw Story. The death of the head of the police is a significant blow to the president's efforts to combat criminal gangs in El Salvador. Since March 2022, almost 82K suspected gang members have been taken into custody and Arriaza was the architect of this plan. The Salvadoran government is determined to carry on with Arriaza's mission to restore order to the country.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Reuters. Police Chief Arriaza was the driving force behind President Bukele's war on criminal gangs. Rights groups have accused the government of using arbitrary arrests and detentions to undermine the rule of law and criminalize the opposition, while Human Rights Watch has asked states to impose travel bans and asset freezes on several Salvadoran officials, including Arriaza, over allegations that the national police 'has been responsible for widespread human rights violations.' The Police Chief was not restoring order but undermining human rights.

Predictions