Key facts
- Relatives gathered at San Salvador's metropolitan cathedral on Saturday to mourn detained inmates who died in prison.
- Many families have had no contact with detained relatives and do not know if they are alive.
- El Salvador's state of exception has led to the detention of over 90,000 people.
- A human rights organization has documented 454 deaths in prisons among those detained under the state of exception.
Relatives of people detained under El Salvador's controversial state of exception gathered at the San Salvador metropolitan cathedral on Saturday, October 31, to leave offerings for inmates who have died behind bars and demand justice. Participants arrived carrying flowers, banners, and photographs of jailed family members. Many of those present have had no contact with their detained relatives since their arrest and, in some cases, do not know if they are still alive. El Salvador's state of exception, imposed by President Nayib Bukele four years ago, has allowed security forces to detain more than 90,000 people. The human rights organization Cristosal has documented 454 deaths in Salvadoran prisons among people detained under the state of exception.