The US State Department publishes lists in accordance with this US law, which should be unknown to Central American countries due to their illegal and illegal nature, experts on the topic explain.
Engel’s list was approved in December 2020 by the US Congress and began to apply as of 2021, and the body has released three updates so far.
According to a review by the Salvadoran newspaper El Mundo, the first publication was issued on July 1, 2021 and included 14 people: four officials close to President Najib Bukele (legal secretary, chief of staff, minister, director).
As well as two of its former officials (Agriculture and Security), and four former officials or officials of other political parties, among others.
The text was updated on September 20, 2021 with the names of five of the judges elected in the Constitutional Chamber, and later, on July 20, 2022, the third with seven names occurred.
Local media and politicians say updates to the list are causing tensions between Salvadoran government officials and the US administration, while some are not hiding from Washington’s accusation and its interventionist policy.
The accused include Conan Castro, advisor to the president, Rolando Castro, minister of labor, Osiris Luna Meza, deputy security minister, Carolina Recinos, chief of staff, and a number of judges of the Constitutional Chamber, accused of corruption. Money laundering, among other charges.
The initiative of the US Congress is rejected in the country by all political sectors, which consider it a tool aimed at putting pressure on the countries of the region and mediating in the free exercise of their national policies.
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