Latest news with #LawAgainstOrganizedCrime
Epoch Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
El Salvadoran Committee Backs Extending Detention of Suspected Gang Members Until 2027
El Salvador's congressional security committee on Aug. 14 backed the extension of the pretrial detention of tens of thousands of suspected gang members for another two years. The National Security and Justice Committee supported the reforms to the country's Law Against Organized Crime, giving prosecutors until August 2027 to build cases against the 88,750 suspects in prison.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
El Salvador may extend detention of alleged gang members until 2027
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SAN SALVADOR - Suspected gang members imprisoned under a sweeping Salvadoran state of emergency imposed since March 2022 could be held for another two years without trial under action taken by a congressional security committee on Thursday. The changes to the Central American country's Law Against Organized Crime aim to give prosecutors until August 2027 to build cases against those detained since then. Lawmakers from the ruling party majority who voted to advance the measure said it was necessary to gather evidence and streamline legal proceedings against alleged gang members and prevent detainees from being released. The proposal, introduced 10 days before a previous two-year deadline was set to expire, still requires a vote by the full legislature, which like the commission is controlled by the ruling party and very likely to pass the proposal. "This committee will continue working to combat crime and the gangs, ensuring these terrorist groups never return to our streets," said Caleb Navarro, a lawmaker from the ruling Nuevas Ideas party. Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado called the measure advanced on Thursday a "very important" tool, enabling the country's 44 organized crime judges to process roughly 600 collective cases involving the 88,750 people arrested. In July 2023, El Salvador's Congress approved group trials for the tens of thousands of people arrested during President Nayib Bukele's crackdown on criminal gangs, which has given the country one of the world's highest incarceration rates. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Over 100 people being investigated for vape offences, say MOH and HSA Singapore Bukit Merah fire: Residents relocated as town council carries out restoration works Singapore askST: What to do in the event of a fire at home Singapore Jalan Bukit Merah fire: PMD battery could have started fatal blaze, says SCDF Singapore askST: What are the fire safety rules for PMDs? Asia AirAsia flight from KL to Incheon lands at wrong airport in South Korea Asia India and China work to improve ties amid Trump's unpredictability Singapore From quiet introvert to self-confident student: How this vulnerable, shy teen gets help to develop and discover her strength Opposition politicians and rights groups said group trials risked depriving detainees of their right to due process and their individual presumption of innocence. REUTERS
Miami Herald
31-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Guatemala pushes money laundering bill to avoid international sanctions
July 31 (UPI) -- The Guatemalan government has introduced key legislation to modernize its money laundering laws and prevent the country from being added to the international financial system's "gray list" -- a designation that could raise borrowing costs and limit access to credit. President Bernardo Arévalo formally submitted the bill to Congress on Tuesday, calling it a strategic tool to strike at the "heart" of organized crime and drug trafficking. During the launch of a program aimed at integrating Guatemalan companies into Walmart's supply chain in Central America, U.S. Ambassador Tobin Bradley stated that "the new anti-money laundering law is a platform for transparency and for attracting more investment to Guatemala." The proposal updates laws from 2001 and 2005 that officials say are outdated and inadequate for confronting modern money laundering and illicit financing schemes. It expands the range of entities required to implement controls, report suspicious transactions and appoint compliance officers. The bill also includes reforms to the Penal Code, Commercial Code, Law Against Organized Crime and private security regulations. If the reform is not approved and implemented this year, Guatemala risks being placed on the "gray list" of the Financial Action Task Force, an intergovernmental organization created in 1989 by the G7. The list includes jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies in their anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing systems. Countries on the list are under increased monitoring and must address shortcomings within set timeframes. "Being added to this list would significantly restrict international transactions, raise the cost of external financing and, in turn, limit access to credit. It could also lead to local banks losing the ability to work with international banks, making it harder to carry out essential operations for the people of Guatemala -- such as remittances, international payments or letters of credit for exporters," Arévalo said. The initiative's legislative prospects depend on the political support the government can secure among various blocs in Congress, where it holds a minority. The executive branch said it has begun informal talks with congressional blocs and plans to make formal presentations to committees and party groups once Congress returns from recess. Guatemala has faced warnings from Financial Action Task Force Latin America since 2022 for failing to pass key reforms. The Inter-American Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have warned the country that without new legislation, a poor assessment will be inevitable at the next task force plenary meeting, which is likely in October. The Arévalo administration views the reform as one of its most significant efforts to modernize the country's institutional framework. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
UPI
31-07-2025
- Business
- UPI
Guatemala pushes money laundering bill to avoid international sanctions
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo, who formally submitted the money-laundering bill to Congress on Tuesday, speaks a day earlier at a press conference in Guatemala City. Photo by Alex Cruz/EPA July 31 (UPI) -- The Guatemalan government has introduced key legislation to modernize its money laundering laws and prevent the country from being added to the international financial system's "gray list" -- a designation that could raise borrowing costs and limit access to credit. President Bernardo Arévalo formally submitted the bill to Congress on Tuesday, calling it a strategic tool to strike at the "heart" of organized crime and drug trafficking. During the launch of a program aimed at integrating Guatemalan companies into Walmart's supply chain in Central America, U.S. Ambassador Tobin Bradley stated that "the new anti-money laundering law is a platform for transparency and for attracting more investment to Guatemala." The proposal updates laws from 2001 and 2005 that officials say are outdated and inadequate for confronting modern money laundering and illicit financing schemes. It expands the range of entities required to implement controls, report suspicious transactions and appoint compliance officers. The bill also includes reforms to the Penal Code, Commercial Code, Law Against Organized Crime and private security regulations. If the reform is not approved and implemented this year, Guatemala risks being placed on the "gray list" of the Financial Action Task Force, an intergovernmental organization created in 1989 by the G7. The list includes jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies in their anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing systems. Countries on the list are under increased monitoring and must address shortcomings within set timeframes. "Being added to this list would significantly restrict international transactions, raise the cost of external financing and, in turn, limit access to credit. It could also lead to local banks losing the ability to work with international banks, making it harder to carry out essential operations for the people of Guatemala -- such as remittances, international payments or letters of credit for exporters," Arévalo said. The initiative's legislative prospects depend on the political support the government can secure among various blocs in Congress, where it holds a minority. The executive branch said it has begun informal talks with congressional blocs and plans to make formal presentations to committees and party groups once Congress returns from recess. Guatemala has faced warnings from Financial Action Task Force Latin America since 2022 for failing to pass key reforms. The Inter-American Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have warned the country that without new legislation, a poor assessment will be inevitable at the next task force plenary meeting, which is likely in October. The Arévalo administration views the reform as one of its most significant efforts to modernize the country's institutional framework.
