Mega prison for gang members, controversial in El Salvador

El Salvador’s government allowed media access to a new Confinement Center for Terrorism (CECOT), a huge prison complex with the capacity for 40,000 inmates on Thursday. Authorities claim it's the largest prison in Latin America and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to prevent escapes.

The government said the jail has been designed to hold gang leaders, including the heads of so-called cliques, or groups, as well as their members and collaborators. No transfer of inmates to the center has yet been carried out. The prison was built in the municipality of Tecoluca, in the department of San Vicente, far from urban areas and 74 kilometers from the capital, San Salvador.

President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele promised to leave the huge prison complex exclusively for gang members a few days after Congress decreed a state of emergency to persecute these groups. National and international organizations have condemned the state of emergency for alleged massive violations of due process, extreme overcrowding in prisons, and deaths in the custody of the authorities.