The National Civil Police did not issue its morning report confirming whether any murder attributable to gangs occurred, creating the suspense of how October reached the total of days with zero murders in a month, an achievement also claimed in January, February, and June. However, this may be confirmed this Thursday or Friday.

Meanwhile, the authorities reported a reduction in crime nationwide by 44.7 percent compared to 2023.

Minister of Security Gustavo Villatoro recently said that so far 18,443 reports of crimes have accumulated, about half of the previous year, when cases reached 33,353, undoubtedly an achievement in terms of security. Every good result needs “maintenance and that maintenance, in terms of security, is concentration, not losing direction, we are not celebrating, security is permanent,” he said.

The government, and especially its security cabinet, have stated that 2024 is shaping up to be one of the safest years since homicide, extortion, disappearances of people and other crimes have declined. The forecast for the end of the year is that homicide rate should drop between 1.5 and 1.8 per 100,000 inhabitants, which will be the best result in the history of the country.

Thanks to policies such as the Territorial Control Plan and the State of Exception, the government arrested more than 83,000 gang members, including bosses, ringleaders and collaborators.

Currently, San Salvador Sur is under military blockade with the aim of arresting gang members and putting a stop to drug trafficking.

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