U.S. Department of State Country Reports on Terrorism 2005 - El Salvador
- Author: Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism
- Document source:
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Date:
28 April 2006
El Salvador backed its outspoken support for the United States-led coalition in the global war on terror by sending a fifth troop rotation to Iraq in August.
The government introduced counterterrorism legislation that has new sentencing requirements for certain terrorist-related crimes but falls short of international recommendations on terror finance. If passed, technical limitations, banking privacy laws, and a culture of protecting clients could complicate its implementation. Existing money laundering laws allow for freezing and forfeiture of proceeds from illegal activities, but do not outlaw the flow of legitimate money to terrorist organizations.
El Salvador has the basic statutory framework to prosecute terrorists, but the judicial system is weak and inefficient. The constitution expressly protects Salvadoran citizens from electronic monitoring, and the current draft counterterrorism legislation is unlikely to change that.
The National Civilian Police (PNC) is professional and well-regarded by Salvadoran citizens and outside observers. The PNC coordinates well with the National Intelligence Service, the Immigration Service, and the Office of the Attorney General. While its immigration regime is strict, El Salvador does not have a customs and immigration recordkeeping system accessible in real time at ports of entry and by the central authority.
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