Heavily-armed soldiers barged in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/el-salvador-president-clicks-selfie-on-un-podium-calls-on-trump-to-rethink-legal-migration-252564">El Salvador</a>'s parliament on Sunday as the president demanded lawmakers to approve a $109 million loan to equip the military and police to fight against violent gangs.

When the soldiers forcibly entered the parliament, El Salvadore's President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/el-salvador-president-clicks-selfie-on-un-podium-calls-on-trump-to-rethink-legal-migration-252564">Nayib Bukele </a>was about the address a session.

<img alt="El Salvadore's President Nayib Bukele" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="96c468a9-fe7b-4684-a1a9-618ebd3d8fdc" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29_86.jpg" />

&nbsp;Before the president's entry into Parliament, armed police and soldiers with rifles and wearing body armour entered the chamber and stood guard, a move not seen since the end of the country's civil war in 1992.

Opposition politicians called the appearance of armed men as an ''unprecedented act of intimidation''.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/el-salvador-president-clicks-selfie-on-un-podium-calls-on-trump-to-rethink-legal-migration-252564">El Salvador President clicks selfie on UN&nbsp;podium, calls on Trump to rethink legal migration</a>

"If these lawmakers do not approve the Territorial Control Plan this week we will call them to hold a session again next Sunday," Bukele said in a speech to supporters outside the parliament.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/el-salvador-president-clicks-selfie-on-un-podium-calls-on-trump-to-rethink-legal-migration-252564">Bukele </a>had taken office in June last year.&nbsp;He had pledged to tackle gang violence and intends using the loan to better equip the military and police&nbsp;but lawmakers refused to sit for an extra session over the weekend to debate the issue.

El Salvador is one of the world's most dangerous nations with one of the highest murder rates in the world.

Heavily-armed soldiers barged in El Salvador's parliament on Sunday as the president demanded lawmakers to approve a $109 million loan to equip the military and police to fight against violent gangs.

Heavily-armed soldiers barged in El Salvador's parliament on Sunday as the president demanded lawmakers to approve a $109 million loan to equip the military and police to fight against violent gangs. When the soldiers forcibly entered the parliament, El Salvadore's President Nayib Bukele was about the address a session. Before the president's entry into Parliament, armed police and soldiers with rifles and wearing body armour entered the chamber and stood guard, a move not seen since the end of the country's civil war in 1992. Opposition politicians called the appearance of armed men as an ''unprecedented act of intimidation''. Also read: El Salvador President clicks selfie on UN podium, calls on Trump to rethink legal migration "If these lawmakers do not approve the Territorial Control Plan this week we will call them to hold a session again next Sunday," Bukele said in a speech to supporters outside the parliament. Bukele had taken office in June last year. He had pledged to tackle gang violence and intends using the loan to better equip the military and police but lawmakers refused to sit for an extra session over the weekend to debate the issue. El Salvador is one of the world's most dangerous nations with one of the highest murder rates in the world.

Heavily armed soldiers barge into Parliament in El Salvador

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/just-bear-with-me-el-salvador-presidents-selfie-eclipses-un-speech-252416">El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele</a> on Thursday said that the United States should promote legal migration as part of its crackdown on illegal immigration, calling on President Donald Trump to continue a programme shielding some migrants from deportation.

He also defended an agreement allowing the United States to send back asylum seekers who cross the Central American country while journeying north, arguing it was part of his effort to combat irregular migration.

"If the U.S. government is serious about fighting irregular migration, it should support and encourage legal migration," he told reporters after giving a speech to the United Nations General Assembly, where the 38-year-old leader took a selfie on the podium.

He said the poor, violence-stricken country would be capable of taking in hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans who could be sent back if Trump ends the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programme, noting that most migrants with TPS had the means to support themselves and that El Salvador was their "home."

But Bukele said Trump should maintain the policy, arguing that most Salvadoran migrants with TPS were law-abiding and successful and wanted to remain with their families in the United States.

"The majority of people with TPS have means; that is not the struggle. The struggle is that if they were deported, it would break up families," he said.

TPS was granted to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bodies-of-drowned-salvadoran-migrant-and-2-year-old-child-back-in-el-salvador-231939">El Salvador</a> following two devastating 2001 earthquakes that left hundreds of thousands of people homeless. The programme offers protection from deportation to immigrants who already are in the United States, including those who entered illegally, from countries affected by natural disasters, civil conflicts and other problems.

Bukele also defended a deal with the United States, announced last Friday, which allows El Salvador to assess whether to extend refuge to migrants returned by the United States.

He pushed back on criticism that the policy turns <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/el-salvador-court-frees-woman-jailed-for-delivering-stillborn-197699">El Salvador</a> into an enforcer of the Trump administration's immigration policy, and also rejected suggestions it would lead to a massive influx of migrants.

"We have not put up any wall," Bukele said. "What we have done is support our largest natural ally."

Under the agreement - which will take effect only after details are hammered out - the United States will in exchange help El Salvador expand its tiny asylum system.

It is similar to "safe third country" deals the Trump administration wants with several Latin American countries traversed by U.S.-bound migrants.

Immigration advocates have criticized the deals, saying Central American countries - from which many people flee violence, poverty and corruption - lack the capacity to process more asylum claims and cannot assure migrants' safety.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele on Thursday said that the United States should promote legal migration as part of its crackdown on illegal immigration, calling on President Donald Trump to continue a programme shielding some migrants from deportation.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele on Thursday said that the United States should promote legal migration as part of its crackdown on illegal immigration, calling on President Donald Trump to continue a programme shielding some migrants from deportation. He also defended an agreement allowing the United States to send back asylum seekers who cross the Central American country while journeying north, arguing it was part of his effort to combat irregular migration. "If the U.S. government is serious about fighting irregular migration, it should support and encourage legal migration," he told reporters after giving a speech to the United Nations General Assembly, where the 38-year-old leader took a selfie on the podium. He said the poor, violence-stricken country would be capable of taking in hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans who could be sent back if Trump ends the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programme, noting that most migrants with TPS had the means to support themselves and that El Salvador was their "home." But Bukele said Trump should maintain the policy, arguing that most Salvadoran migrants with TPS were law-abiding and successful and wanted to remain with their families in the United States. "The majority of people with TPS have means; that is not the struggle. The struggle is that if they were deported, it would break up families," he said. TPS was granted to El Salvador following two devastating 2001 earthquakes that left hundreds of thousands of people homeless. The programme offers protection from deportation to immigrants who already are in the United States, including those who entered illegally, from countries affected by natural disasters, civil conflicts and other problems. Bukele also defended a deal with the United States, announced last Friday, which allows El Salvador to assess whether to extend refuge to migrants returned by the United States. He pushed back on criticism that the policy turns El Salvador into an enforcer of the Trump administration's immigration policy, and also rejected suggestions it would lead to a massive influx of migrants. "We have not put up any wall," Bukele said. "What we have done is support our largest natural ally." Under the agreement - which will take effect only after details are hammered out - the United States will in exchange help El Salvador expand its tiny asylum system. It is similar to "safe third country" deals the Trump administration wants with several Latin American countries traversed by U.S.-bound migrants. Immigration advocates have criticized the deals, saying Central American countries - from which many people flee violence, poverty and corruption - lack the capacity to process more asylum claims and cannot assure migrants' safety.

El Salvador President clicks selfie on U.N. podium, calls on Trump to rethink legal migration

Before starting his first address before the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/at-unga-today-pm-modi-to-lead-from-the-front-252332">United Nations General Assembly </a>on Thursday, 38-year-old El Salvador President Nayib Bukele asked the audience to hold on a second, took out his phone, and snapped a selfie.

"Believe me, many more people will see this selfie than will hear this speech," Bukele quipped before delivering his address calling on the United Nations to change with the times and for world leaders to do more to connect with their countries' youth.

The former mayor of the capital, San Salvador, who took office in June, is a prolific user of social media. In his speech, he attributed his election victory to his mastery of platforms like Facebook Live, which he said his political opponents did not fully grasp.

After finishing his speech, Bukele uploaded the photo to Twitter, where it received more than 7,000 likes in less than an hour. The picture showed him smiling in front of the U.N. logo - a map of the world surrounded by olive branches - and Argentine U.N. Ambassador Martin Garcia Moritan, one of several General Assembly vice presidents.

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"Maybe in a few years, thousands of us will not have to travel to New York to meet in this building," Bukele said. "A series of videoconferences would have cost several hundred million dollars less, and I'm sure it would have the same effect, if not greater."

Before starting his first address before the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, 38-year-old El Salvador President Nayib Bukele asked the audience to hold on a second, took out his phone, and snapped a selfie.

Before starting his first address before the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, 38-year-old El Salvador President Nayib Bukele asked the audience to hold on a second, took out his phone, and snapped a selfie. "Believe me, many more people will see this selfie than will hear this speech," Bukele quipped before delivering his address calling on the United Nations to change with the times and for world leaders to do more to connect with their countries' youth. The former mayor of the capital, San Salvador, who took office in June, is a prolific user of social media. In his speech, he attributed his election victory to his mastery of platforms like Facebook Live, which he said his political opponents did not fully grasp. After finishing his speech, Bukele uploaded the photo to Twitter, where it received more than 7,000 likes in less than an hour. The picture showed him smiling in front of the U.N. logo - a map of the world surrounded by olive branches - and Argentine U.N. Ambassador Martin Garcia Moritan, one of several General Assembly vice presidents. #UNSelfie pic.twitter.com/P7qH5p2l04 — Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) September 26, 2019 × "Maybe in a few years, thousands of us will not have to travel to New York to meet in this building," Bukele said. "A series of videoconferences would have cost several hundred million dollars less, and I'm sure it would have the same effect, if not greater."

'Just bear with me', El Salvador President Nayib Bukele takes selfie before his first address at UNGA

The United States and Honduras are discussing how to increase temporary legal employment opportunities for Hondurans in the United States, as the governments work to hammer out details of an immigration agreement.

In a joint statement issued Saturday, the governments said they would have another round of meetings next week "to ensure that our enhanced cooperation conforms to each nations’ legal requirements while also advancing our mutual objectives."

This week in Tegucigalpa, officials also discussed how to "enhance collaboration in the areas of law enforcement and information-sharing, bolster regional border security, and strengthen migration protections."

Acting US Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan has waged a campaign in recent months to seal immigration deals with the Northern Triangle countries of Central America - Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador - from where many immigrants arriving at the US southern border set out.

Guatemala has signed a so-called "safe third country" deal with the United States that requires asylum seekers who travel through Guatemala on the way to the US-Mexico border to ask for refuge in Guatemala first, instead of in the United States.

The Guatemalan Congress, however, has not ratified the deal.

McAleenan announced a deal with El Salvador on Friday to strengthen the Central American country’s capacity to receive asylum seekers, though he did not detail what the pact would entail.

Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez said this week "we have to construct an agreement across the region, conversing with Mexico, Guatemala, and the United States."

The joint statement said the meetings "demonstrate the commitment of both governments to work together as trusted allies to address shared regional challenges. They recognize Honduras’ progress in the areas of security and migration."

The United States and Honduras are discussing how to increase temporary legal employment opportunities for Hondurans in the United States, as the governments work to hammer out details of an immigration agreement.

The United States and Honduras are discussing how to increase temporary legal employment opportunities for Hondurans in the United States, as the governments work to hammer out details of an immigration agreement. In a joint statement issued Saturday, the governments said they would have another round of meetings next week "to ensure that our enhanced cooperation conforms to each nations’ legal requirements while also advancing our mutual objectives." This week in Tegucigalpa, officials also discussed how to "enhance collaboration in the areas of law enforcement and information-sharing, bolster regional border security, and strengthen migration protections." Acting US Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan has waged a campaign in recent months to seal immigration deals with the Northern Triangle countries of Central America - Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador - from where many immigrants arriving at the US southern border set out. Guatemala has signed a so-called "safe third country" deal with the United States that requires asylum seekers who travel through Guatemala on the way to the US-Mexico border to ask for refuge in Guatemala first, instead of in the United States. The Guatemalan Congress, however, has not ratified the deal. McAleenan announced a deal with El Salvador on Friday to strengthen the Central American country’s capacity to receive asylum seekers, though he did not detail what the pact would entail. Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez said this week "we have to construct an agreement across the region, conversing with Mexico, Guatemala, and the United States." The joint statement said the meetings "demonstrate the commitment of both governments to work together as trusted allies to address shared regional challenges. They recognize Honduras’ progress in the areas of security and migration."

United States, Honduras discuss temporary work opportunities for Hondurans

Activists in El Salvador threw eggs filled with confetti and sprayed red paint outside the attorney general's office on Monday (September 09) to protest a decision to seek a third trial for a woman accused of killing her stillborn son.

El Salvador: Activists protest against country's abortion laws

US President Donald Trump's administration plans to divert more than $40 million in humanitarian aid for Central America to support the US-backed opposition in Venezuela, according to an internal document obtained by Reuters on Tuesday.

The $41.9 million had been destined for Guatemala and Honduras, two of the three Central American countries at the centre of a migration crisis in which thousands of people have fled poverty, violence and corruption and attempted to cross the southern US border.

The congressional notification from the US Agency for International Development said the money will instead be used for salaries, travel, communications equipment, technical assistance and training for the management of a government budget and other needs for the Venezuelan opposition.

The memorandum, dated July 11, says the funds are necessary because of "a significant, exigent event in the US national interest, specifically the rapidly evolving crisis in Venezuela."

The memo and its contents were first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Spokespeople for the State Department, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido and Venezuela's Information Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Guaido, the head of Venezuela's National Assembly, invoked the Venezuelan constitution in January to assume an interim presidency, arguing Venezuela`s President Nicolas Maduro is illegitimate.&nbsp;

Maduro, meanwhile, has called Guaido a US-backed puppet and has so far retained his grip on the levers of government.

The State Department announced in June it was slashing hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras after Trump said the three countries were not doing enough to stem migration.

US President Donald Trump's administration plans to divert more than $40 million in humanitarian aid for Central America to support the US-backed opposition in Venezuela, according to an internal document obtained by Reuters on Tuesday.

US President Donald Trump's administration plans to divert more than $40 million in humanitarian aid for Central America to support the US-backed opposition in Venezuela, according to an internal document obtained by Reuters on Tuesday. The $41.9 million had been destined for Guatemala and Honduras, two of the three Central American countries at the centre of a migration crisis in which thousands of people have fled poverty, violence and corruption and attempted to cross the southern US border. The congressional notification from the US Agency for International Development said the money will instead be used for salaries, travel, communications equipment, technical assistance and training for the management of a government budget and other needs for the Venezuelan opposition. The memorandum, dated July 11, says the funds are necessary because of "a significant, exigent event in the US national interest, specifically the rapidly evolving crisis in Venezuela." The memo and its contents were first reported by the Los Angeles Times. Spokespeople for the State Department, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido and Venezuela's Information Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Guaido, the head of Venezuela's National Assembly, invoked the Venezuelan constitution in January to assume an interim presidency, arguing Venezuela`s President Nicolas Maduro is illegitimate. Maduro, meanwhile, has called Guaido a US-backed puppet and has so far retained his grip on the levers of government. The State Department announced in June it was slashing hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras after Trump said the three countries were not doing enough to stem migration.

Trump administration plans to divert $40 million in aid to Venezuela's opposition

The bodies of a man and his daughter whose <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/images-of-drowned-salvadoran-migrant-and-2-year-old-child-stir-outrage-230639">drowning images had sparked outrage</a> were returned on Sunday to El Salvador.

Both father and daughter drowned while trying to cross the Rio Grande from Mexico to the United States.

The corpses were brought from Mexico through Guatemala to the Salvadoran town of La Hachadura, where Salvadoran minister of government Mario Duran was on hand to receive the remains.

A series of haunting photographs showing the father and child lying face-down in water has stirred anger in El Salvador and Mexico, where the government had faced sharp criticism for its treatment of migrants.

The bodies are expected to be buried in a cemetery in Sal Salvador after a day-long vigil.

Describing the country as "in mourning," the head of El Salvador's Human Rights Commission Miguel Montenegro predicted that people would continue to migrate to escape poverty and "the prostration in their lives."

Until these causes are addressed, Montenegro predicts the country will continue to "lament" tragedies that befall migrants travelling north to find the "American dream."

The bodies of a man and his daughter whose drowning images had sparked outrage were returned on Sunday to El Salvador. Both father and daughter drowned while trying to cross the Rio Grande from Mexico to the United States.

The bodies of a man and his daughter whose drowning images had sparked outrage were returned on Sunday to El Salvador. Both father and daughter drowned while trying to cross the Rio Grande from Mexico to the United States. The corpses were brought from Mexico through Guatemala to the Salvadoran town of La Hachadura, where Salvadoran minister of government Mario Duran was on hand to receive the remains. A series of haunting photographs showing the father and child lying face-down in water has stirred anger in El Salvador and Mexico, where the government had faced sharp criticism for its treatment of migrants. The bodies are expected to be buried in a cemetery in Sal Salvador after a day-long vigil. Describing the country as "in mourning," the head of El Salvador's Human Rights Commission Miguel Montenegro predicted that people would continue to migrate to escape poverty and "the prostration in their lives." Until these causes are addressed, Montenegro predicts the country will continue to "lament" tragedies that befall migrants travelling north to find the "American dream."

Bodies of drowned migrant and 2-year-old child back in El Salvador

Shocking images of a drowned Salvadoran migrant and his two-year-old daughter who died while trying to cross the Rio Grande river from Mexico to the United States have sparked outrage, underscoring the dangers faced by asylum-seekers.

US migration crisis: Father, daughter from El Salvador drown trying to cross border

El Salvador commutes sentences, frees 3 women convicted of having abortions

A Salvadoran court on Friday freed , who was sentenced to 30 years in prison after she gave birth to a stillborn baby at home.

After serving 33 months for aggravated homicide, 20-year-old Hernandez smiled as she was reunited with her parents and a brother in the capital San Salvador.

The court in Cojutepeque, east of the capital, ruled that she will be retried but while living at home. A hearing has been set for April 4, with a new judge, her lawyer Angelica Rivas said.

El Salvador has an extremely strict abortion ban. Hernandez gave birth in the makeshift bathroom of her home in the central Cuscatlan region. She was 18 years old and eight months pregnant.

She said her son was stillborn but was convicted of murdering him, abortion rights group ACDATEE said.

ACDATEE cited a pathologist's report which it said indicated the baby had choked to death while still in the womb.

Prosecutors argued Hernandez was culpable for not having sought prenatal care, ACDATEE said.

The group said Hernandez had not known she was pregnant and gave birth on the toilet after feeling abdominal pains. She got pregnant as the result of a rape, which she did not report out of fear because her family had been threatened.

Even women who abort due to birth defects or health complications risk jail sentences of up to 40 years in El Salvador. Campaigners say some have been jailed after suffering miscarriages.

The country's abortion law made international headlines in 2013 when a sick woman was forbidden from aborting a fetus which developed without a brain.

Under a ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Salvadoran state eventually authorized her to undergo a cesarean section. The baby died shortly after the procedure.

A Salvadoran court on Friday freed , who was sentenced to 30 years in prison after she gave birth to a stillborn baby at home. After serving 33 months for aggravated homicide, 20-year-old Hernandez smiled as she was reunited with her parents and a brother in the capital San Salvador.

A Salvadoran court on Friday freed , who was sentenced to 30 years in prison after she gave birth to a stillborn baby at home. After serving 33 months for aggravated homicide, 20-year-old Hernandez smiled as she was reunited with her parents and a brother in the capital San Salvador. The court in Cojutepeque, east of the capital, ruled that she will be retried but while living at home. A hearing has been set for April 4, with a new judge, her lawyer Angelica Rivas said. El Salvador has an extremely strict abortion ban. Hernandez gave birth in the makeshift bathroom of her home in the central Cuscatlan region. She was 18 years old and eight months pregnant. She said her son was stillborn but was convicted of murdering him, abortion rights group ACDATEE said. ACDATEE cited a pathologist's report which it said indicated the baby had choked to death while still in the womb. Prosecutors argued Hernandez was culpable for not having sought prenatal care, ACDATEE said. The group said Hernandez had not known she was pregnant and gave birth on the toilet after feeling abdominal pains. She got pregnant as the result of a rape, which she did not report out of fear because her family had been threatened. Even women who abort due to birth defects or health complications risk jail sentences of up to 40 years in El Salvador. Campaigners say some have been jailed after suffering miscarriages. The country's abortion law made international headlines in 2013 when a sick woman was forbidden from aborting a fetus which developed without a brain. Under a ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Salvadoran state eventually authorized her to undergo a cesarean section. The baby died shortly after the procedure.

El Salvador court frees woman jailed for delivering stillborn

Salvadorans on Sunday elected Nayib Bukele, the popular former mayor of San Salvador, as the Central American country's new president -- a result that ends the near 30-year grip on power of its two largest parties.

The country's Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) awarded him 53.78 per cent of votes with 87.67 per cent counted -- a lead it considered "irreversible."

The 37-year-old president-elect, of the conservative Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA) party, wore jeans and a leather jacket as he celebrated with supporters -- thousands chanting his name and waving flags in the capital's central Plaza Morazan.

"It's a victory for the Salvadoran people, today we won in the first round and we have made history," said Bukele, who despite being a firm favourite was expected to face a second round of voting.

He has promised to increase investment in education and fight corruption -- but his main task will be to confront insecurity in a country ravaged by gang violence.

He will also have to form an alliance with the rightwing opposition, which dominates Congress, and govern with them until at least 2021 when the next legislative elections are held.

Bukele's opponents -- Carlos Calleja of the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA), and Hugo Martinez of the leftist Farabundo Marti Front for National Liberation (FMLN) -- quickly recognized the win. For nearly three decades, their parties have had a firm hold on Salvadoran politics.

"We recognize the results of these elections. We are going to call the president-elect to wish him luck in facing the challenges in this country," said Calleja, the runner-up with 31.62 per cent of votes. The FMLN's Martinez took third place with 13.77 per cent.

Meanwhile, Organization of American States (OAS) secretary general Luis Almagro congratulated Bukele on Twitter.

"We congratulate @nayibbukele for his historic victory in the first round. We celebrate his proposal for a new chapter for El Salvador. And we salute the political maturity of the contending candidates in accepting his victory," Almagro said.

Long lines&nbsp;

Some 5.2 million people participated in the election, according to the elections authority chief Julio Olivo.

Voters formed long lines outside polling stations in parts of San Salvador, where gang violence and insecurity are endemic. El Salvador is among the world's most violent countries with a murder rate of 51 per 100,000 citizens.

"It's honestly scary to go out alone in the street, you never know what can happen you," first-time voter Gabriela Solorzano, 19, said at a polling station in the gang stronghold of Mejicanos in the capital's north, her brother holding her hand.

In nearby streets, where graffiti on the walls testify to the presence of criminal gangs, many voters arrived aboard buses laid on by the political parties.

But outgoing President Salvador Sanchez Ceren, of the FMLN, said voting proceeded "very calmly and very normally."&nbsp;

Some 23,000 police officers and 15,000 soldiers were deployed to protect the sixth presidential election since democracy was restored in 1992 -- after 12 years of bloody civil war between state security forces and leftist guerrillas.

'Daring security solutions'&nbsp;

For analyst Roberto Canas, Salvadorans "buried" the bipartisanship that "could not read the needs of the people, such as the insecurity experienced daily on the streets."

Confronting insecurity will certainly be a key challenge for Bukele, who Canas said: "personified the population's tiredness."

According to authorities, gang violence was the source of most of last year's 3,340 reported murders -- and gangs are said to have 70,000 members, with 17,000 behind bars.

"The new president must offer daring security solutions," Carlos Carcach, an analyst and professor at the Higher School of Economy and Business in El Salvador, told AFP.

In the past, rightwing governments opted for repression or secret negotiations with gangs. Meanwhile, under the FMLN's Mauricio Funes (2009- 2014), there was a truce between the country's two main gangs which temporarily reduced homicides.

Another task will be to reduce illegal immigration to the United States -- as President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off aid if the flow of Central American migrants is not stemmed.

During the last few months of 2018, more than 3,000 Salvadorans joined caravans marching towards the United States, fleeing gangs and a lack of jobs.

The other main worry for Salvadorans is the economy. Although it grew by 2.6 per cent in 2018, its biggest rise in five years, that is considered insufficient to cover the demand for new employment.

Bukele will have to juggle the need to raise taxes to cover an external debt of more than $9.5 billion while trying to maintain social programs in a country where the minimum wage of $300 a month is barely enough to buy food.

Just over 30 per cent of El Salvador's 6.6 million inhabitants live below the poverty line.

Salvadorans on Sunday elected Nayib Bukele, the popular former mayor of San Salvador, as the Central American country's new president -- a result that ends the near 30-year grip on power of its two largest parties.

Salvadorans on Sunday elected Nayib Bukele, the popular former mayor of San Salvador, as the Central American country's new president -- a result that ends the near 30-year grip on power of its two largest parties. The country's Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) awarded him 53.78 per cent of votes with 87.67 per cent counted -- a lead it considered "irreversible." The 37-year-old president-elect, of the conservative Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA) party, wore jeans and a leather jacket as he celebrated with supporters -- thousands chanting his name and waving flags in the capital's central Plaza Morazan. "It's a victory for the Salvadoran people, today we won in the first round and we have made history," said Bukele, who despite being a firm favourite was expected to face a second round of voting. He has promised to increase investment in education and fight corruption -- but his main task will be to confront insecurity in a country ravaged by gang violence. He will also have to form an alliance with the rightwing opposition, which dominates Congress, and govern with them until at least 2021 when the next legislative elections are held. Bukele's opponents -- Carlos Calleja of the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA), and Hugo Martinez of the leftist Farabundo Marti Front for National Liberation (FMLN) -- quickly recognized the win. For nearly three decades, their parties have had a firm hold on Salvadoran politics. "We recognize the results of these elections. We are going to call the president-elect to wish him luck in facing the challenges in this country," said Calleja, the runner-up with 31.62 per cent of votes. The FMLN's Martinez took third place with 13.77 per cent. Meanwhile, Organization of American States (OAS) secretary general Luis Almagro congratulated Bukele on Twitter. "We congratulate @nayibbukele for his historic victory in the first round. We celebrate his proposal for a new chapter for El Salvador. And we salute the political maturity of the contending candidates in accepting his victory," Almagro said. Long lines Some 5.2 million people participated in the election, according to the elections authority chief Julio Olivo. Voters formed long lines outside polling stations in parts of San Salvador, where gang violence and insecurity are endemic. El Salvador is among the world's most violent countries with a murder rate of 51 per 100,000 citizens. "It's honestly scary to go out alone in the street, you never know what can happen you," first-time voter Gabriela Solorzano, 19, said at a polling station in the gang stronghold of Mejicanos in the capital's north, her brother holding her hand. In nearby streets, where graffiti on the walls testify to the presence of criminal gangs, many voters arrived aboard buses laid on by the political parties. But outgoing President Salvador Sanchez Ceren, of the FMLN, said voting proceeded "very calmly and very normally." Some 23,000 police officers and 15,000 soldiers were deployed to protect the sixth presidential election since democracy was restored in 1992 -- after 12 years of bloody civil war between state security forces and leftist guerrillas. 'Daring security solutions' For analyst Roberto Canas, Salvadorans "buried" the bipartisanship that "could not read the needs of the people, such as the insecurity experienced daily on the streets." Confronting insecurity will certainly be a key challenge for Bukele, who Canas said: "personified the population's tiredness." According to authorities, gang violence was the source of most of last year's 3,340 reported murders -- and gangs are said to have 70,000 members, with 17,000 behind bars. "The new president must offer daring security solutions," Carlos Carcach, an analyst and professor at the Higher School of Economy and Business in El Salvador, told AFP. In the past, rightwing governments opted for repression or secret negotiations with gangs. Meanwhile, under the FMLN's Mauricio Funes (2009- 2014), there was a truce between the country's two main gangs which temporarily reduced homicides. Another task will be to reduce illegal immigration to the United States -- as President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off aid if the flow of Central American migrants is not stemmed. During the last few months of 2018, more than 3,000 Salvadorans joined caravans marching towards the United States, fleeing gangs and a lack of jobs. The other main worry for Salvadorans is the economy. Although it grew by 2.6 per cent in 2018, its biggest rise in five years, that is considered insufficient to cover the demand for new employment. Bukele will have to juggle the need to raise taxes to cover an external debt of more than $9.5 billion while trying to maintain social programs in a country where the minimum wage of $300 a month is barely enough to buy food. Just over 30 per cent of El Salvador's 6.6 million inhabitants live below the poverty line.

El Salvador elects Nayib Bukele as new president

Salvadorans will vote in the first round of a presidential election on Sunday, with an energetic former mayor campaigning as an anti-corruption outsider set to win the top job and end decades of a two-party system.

Nayib Bukele, 37, has capitalized on the anti-establishment feeling sweeping elections across the region and further afield, as voters seek an alternative to traditional parties.

Since the end of its bloody civil war in 1992, El Salvador has been governed by just two parties: ruling leftists the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), and its rival, the conservative Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA).

Though he describes himself as from the left and was expelled from the FMLN, Bukele has formed a coalition with parties including a right-wing one who together has just 11 seats in the legislature.

Pollster Mitofsky said in a January poll that Bukele had 57 per cent of voter support, while a poll by Gallup showed him with 42 per cent. Both polls show ARENA's Carlos Calleja in second place.

If no candidate wins more than 50 per cent of Sunday's vote, two candidates will pass into a runoff to be held in March.

El Salvador's next president will face US President Donald Trump's verbal attacks against Central American governments for not doing enough to prevent migration and have to manage American backlash to recently-established diplomatic relations with China.

The new government will also have to try to kickstart a sluggish economy, combat corruption and tackle one of the highest rates of homicide in the world.

"Nayib is an excellent person and the proposals he has are pretty excellent," said Maria Amaya, a 42-year-old housewife who said she previously voted for the FMLN.

"We're fed up of so much corruption, the Front (FMLN) and ARENA had their time to do something and they didn't."

ANTI-CORRUPTION DRIVE

Bukele, who was mayor of San Salvador between 2015 to 2018, has said he wants to create an international anti-corruption commission with the support of the United Nations, following similar schemes in Guatemala and Honduras.

"We'll create a (commission) ... so that the corrupt can't hide where they always hide, instead they'll have to give back what they stole," Bukele said in January.

The country of 6 million people ranked 105 in Transparency International's 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index, alongside Brazil, which elected far-right Jair Bolsonaro last year on a similar anti-corruption platform.

Bukele, who slicks back his hair and often sports a backward baseball cap, has a large social media following, uses Facebook Live for official announcements, and challenges opponents on Twitter.

Growing up, Bukele's relatively wealthy family were sympathetic to the FMLN, the former leftist guerrilla army that became a political party at the end of El Salvador's civil war in 1992.

But Bukele has turned away from Latin America's traditional left, branding Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega as well as conservative Honduran Juan Orlando Hernandez dictators.

"A dictator is a dictator, on the "right" or the "left"," Bukele wrote in a tweet last week.

Salvadorans will vote in the first round of a presidential election on Sunday, with an energetic former mayor campaigning as an anti-corruption outsider set to win the top job and end decades of a two-party system.

Salvadorans will vote in the first round of a presidential election on Sunday, with an energetic former mayor campaigning as an anti-corruption outsider set to win the top job and end decades of a two-party system. Nayib Bukele, 37, has capitalized on the anti-establishment feeling sweeping elections across the region and further afield, as voters seek an alternative to traditional parties. Since the end of its bloody civil war in 1992, El Salvador has been governed by just two parties: ruling leftists the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), and its rival, the conservative Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA). Though he describes himself as from the left and was expelled from the FMLN, Bukele has formed a coalition with parties including a right-wing one who together has just 11 seats in the legislature. Pollster Mitofsky said in a January poll that Bukele had 57 per cent of voter support, while a poll by Gallup showed him with 42 per cent. Both polls show ARENA's Carlos Calleja in second place. If no candidate wins more than 50 per cent of Sunday's vote, two candidates will pass into a runoff to be held in March. El Salvador's next president will face US President Donald Trump's verbal attacks against Central American governments for not doing enough to prevent migration and have to manage American backlash to recently-established diplomatic relations with China. The new government will also have to try to kickstart a sluggish economy, combat corruption and tackle one of the highest rates of homicide in the world. "Nayib is an excellent person and the proposals he has are pretty excellent," said Maria Amaya, a 42-year-old housewife who said she previously voted for the FMLN. "We're fed up of so much corruption, the Front (FMLN) and ARENA had their time to do something and they didn't." ANTI-CORRUPTION DRIVE Bukele, who was mayor of San Salvador between 2015 to 2018, has said he wants to create an international anti-corruption commission with the support of the United Nations, following similar schemes in Guatemala and Honduras. "We'll create a (commission) ... so that the corrupt can't hide where they always hide, instead they'll have to give back what they stole," Bukele said in January. The country of 6 million people ranked 105 in Transparency International's 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index, alongside Brazil, which elected far-right Jair Bolsonaro last year on a similar anti-corruption platform. Bukele, who slicks back his hair and often sports a backward baseball cap, has a large social media following, uses Facebook Live for official announcements, and challenges opponents on Twitter. Growing up, Bukele's relatively wealthy family were sympathetic to the FMLN, the former leftist guerrilla army that became a political party at the end of El Salvador's civil war in 1992. But Bukele has turned away from Latin America's traditional left, branding Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega as well as conservative Honduran Juan Orlando Hernandez dictators. "A dictator is a dictator, on the "right" or the "left"," Bukele wrote in a tweet last week.

El Salvador votes for new president, with anti-corruption outsider in lead

President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States will eliminate all economic assistance to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador in retaliation for the caravans of Central American migrants arriving at the southern border.

"Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries - taking advantage of US&nbsp;for years!," the president wrote on Twitter.

Trump made a similar threat in October, when he said he would "substantially" cut aid to countries making up the Northern Triangle of Central America, but his words were not followed by any action.

During the 2018 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, the US allocated $84 million in assistance to Guatemala, $58 million to Honduras and $51 million to El Salvador, according to figures from the State Department.

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.....Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries - taking advantage of U.S. for years!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1078638249562775552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Some those funds was channeled through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), while the Pentagon provided a total of $42 million across Central America in 2017 to support the war on drugs.

The White House's proposed 2019 budget includes $69 million in aid to Guatemala, $66 million to Honduras and $46 million to El Salvador, a reduction of 29 percent from the levels of fiscal 2018.

The president cannot unilaterally block the disbursement of aid authorized by Congress for the region, according to the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a think-tank.

Immigration to the US from the countries of the Northern Triangle has increased in recent years.

Since October, at least 9,000 Central Americans, mainly from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, entered Mexico in several caravans hoping to reach the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-threatens-to-entirely-close-us-mexico-border-unless-wall-demands-met-187046">US border</a> and apply for asylum.

Roughly half of them are gathered in Tijuana, just across the border from San Diego.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall &amp; also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with. Hard to believe there was a Congress &amp; President who would approve!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1078625779670503426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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President Donald Trump threatened Friday to seal off the US-Mexico border "entirely" if Congress does not approve billions of dollars in funding for a wall.

President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States will eliminate all economic assistance to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador in retaliation for the caravans of Central American migrants arriving at the southern border.

President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States will eliminate all economic assistance to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador in retaliation for the caravans of Central American migrants arriving at the southern border. "Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries - taking advantage of US for years!," the president wrote on Twitter. Trump made a similar threat in October, when he said he would "substantially" cut aid to countries making up the Northern Triangle of Central America, but his words were not followed by any action. During the 2018 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, the US allocated $84 million in assistance to Guatemala, $58 million to Honduras and $51 million to El Salvador, according to figures from the State Department. .....Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries - taking advantage of U.S. for years! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018 × Some those funds was channeled through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), while the Pentagon provided a total of $42 million across Central America in 2017 to support the war on drugs. The White House's proposed 2019 budget includes $69 million in aid to Guatemala, $66 million to Honduras and $46 million to El Salvador, a reduction of 29 percent from the levels of fiscal 2018. The president cannot unilaterally block the disbursement of aid authorized by Congress for the region, according to the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a think-tank. Immigration to the US from the countries of the Northern Triangle has increased in recent years. Since October, at least 9,000 Central Americans, mainly from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, entered Mexico in several caravans hoping to reach the US border and apply for asylum. Roughly half of them are gathered in Tijuana, just across the border from San Diego. We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with. Hard to believe there was a Congress & President who would approve! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018 × President Donald Trump threatened Friday to seal off the US-Mexico border "entirely" if Congress does not approve billions of dollars in funding for a wall.

'Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for US,' says Trump vowing to end all aid

China will give El Salvador $150 million to spur development of social and technological projects, the Salvadoran president said on Wednesday, the latest sign of deepening ties between the countries that has alarmed the United States.

Salvadoran President Salvador Sanchez Ceren is returning from his first trip to China since the countries established diplomatic ties in August. Speaking on local television, Ceren said he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the visit and agreed to 13 joint projects, without providing details.

The donation marks China`s latest gambit to make inroads in Central America, a campaign that has drawn the ire of the United States. Earlier this year, El Salvador cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China, following the Dominican Republic and Panama. The United States promptly recalled its ambassadors in the region.

"This historic meeting between the governments of the People`s Republic of China and the Republic of El Salvador has produced excellent results," Ceren said. "This confirms that the establishment of diplomatic relations with China is my government`s most important decision in foreign policy."

Representatives for the Chinese government were not immediately available for comment.&nbsp;

The date when the funds will be received has not been set, a spokesman for the Salvadoran government said.&nbsp;

China will also donate three thousand tons of rice to support Salvadorans who are reeling from a drought in July and floods in October, Ceren said.&nbsp;

The White House warned in August that China was luring countries with incentives that "facilitate economic dependence and domination, not partnership."&nbsp;

Self-ruled Taiwan has formal relations with a dwindling number of countries, almost all of them small and less developed nations in Central America and the Pacific.

China will give El Salvador $150 million to spur development of social and technological projects, the Salvadoran president said on Wednesday, the latest sign of deepening ties between the countries that has alarmed the United States.

China will give El Salvador $150 million to spur development of social and technological projects, the Salvadoran president said on Wednesday, the latest sign of deepening ties between the countries that has alarmed the United States. Salvadoran President Salvador Sanchez Ceren is returning from his first trip to China since the countries established diplomatic ties in August. Speaking on local television, Ceren said he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the visit and agreed to 13 joint projects, without providing details. The donation marks China`s latest gambit to make inroads in Central America, a campaign that has drawn the ire of the United States. Earlier this year, El Salvador cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China, following the Dominican Republic and Panama. The United States promptly recalled its ambassadors in the region. "This historic meeting between the governments of the People`s Republic of China and the Republic of El Salvador has produced excellent results," Ceren said. "This confirms that the establishment of diplomatic relations with China is my government`s most important decision in foreign policy." Representatives for the Chinese government were not immediately available for comment. The date when the funds will be received has not been set, a spokesman for the Salvadoran government said. China will also donate three thousand tons of rice to support Salvadorans who are reeling from a drought in July and floods in October, Ceren said. The White House warned in August that China was luring countries with incentives that "facilitate economic dependence and domination, not partnership." Self-ruled Taiwan has formal relations with a dwindling number of countries, almost all of them small and less developed nations in Central America and the Pacific.

China to give $150 million in aid to El Salvador as relationship deepens

About 2,000 migrants set off on foot from El Salvador's capital on Wednesday, the latest of several groups of Central Americans heading to the United States, even as US President Donald <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-pressures-mexico-to-stop-migrant-caravans-174739">Trump increased pressure to halt their flow</a>.

Men and women from the two groups of Salvadorans that departed San Salvador pushed baby strollers or bore children on their shoulders. On Sunday, a separate group of about 300 people set off from the city.

Some, such as 42-year-old Luis Geovanni Vindel, a salesman from the central city of Zacatecoluca, moved on quickly, hitching rides alone toward the Guatemalan border.

"We`re already one step away from Guatemala, and soon into Mexico," said Vindel, limping forward with a cane on a prosthetic leg in the municipality of San Francisco Menendez.

A larger US-bound caravan, which left northern Honduras in mid-October is moving north at about 30 miles (48 km) a day through southern Mexico. It has become a major campaign issue ahead of US congressional elections on November 6.

Mexico's Interior Minister Alfonso Navarrete on Wednesday put the size of the first caravan at 2,800 to 3,000, below the government`s previous estimate of about 3,500. Participants in the caravan have put the number significantly higher.

Dozens of the men, women and children in that caravan told Reuters they were abandoning their homelands to seek asylum from a mixture of poverty, violence and corruption.

"We`re now in an unprecedented situation in the country," Navarrete told reporters in Mexico City. "This is not merely a caravan ... it`s a migratory exodus."

The bulk of illegal immigrants intercepted at the US border are from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Trump said he could send up to 15,000 troops to the US-Mexico border, which is already heavily policed by border guards.&nbsp;

"It scares us a little. But since we`re seeing a ton of people going together, we can help one another to cross," said Jose Machado, a migrant departing from San Salvador, his backpack stuffed with clothing and toiletries.

Trump, who has threatened to slash US aid to Central America and close the US border with Mexico, said in a tweet on Wednesday that Mexico needs to keep up efforts to discourage the migrants, who he described as "tough fighters."

A clash at the Mexico-Guatemala border on Sunday left one migrant dead and several law enforcement officers injured.

"Mexican soldiers hurt, were unable, or unwilling to stop Caravan. Should stop them before they reach our Border, but won't!" Trump said on Twitter.&nbsp;

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders on Wednesday praised Mexico`s actions to slow the movement of people, but told Fox News: "They can do more."

Police estimated the two groups leaving San Salvador numbered around 1,000 each. One left around dawn, followed by the second later in the morning.&nbsp;

Some waved Salvadoran flags as motorists honked in support and shouted "God bless you."

About 2,000 migrants set off on foot from El Salvador's capital on Wednesday, the latest of several groups of Central Americans heading to the United States, even as US President Donald Trump increased pressure to halt their flow.

About 2,000 migrants set off on foot from El Salvador's capital on Wednesday, the latest of several groups of Central Americans heading to the United States, even as US President Donald Trump increased pressure to halt their flow. Men and women from the two groups of Salvadorans that departed San Salvador pushed baby strollers or bore children on their shoulders. On Sunday, a separate group of about 300 people set off from the city. Some, such as 42-year-old Luis Geovanni Vindel, a salesman from the central city of Zacatecoluca, moved on quickly, hitching rides alone toward the Guatemalan border. "We`re already one step away from Guatemala, and soon into Mexico," said Vindel, limping forward with a cane on a prosthetic leg in the municipality of San Francisco Menendez. A larger US-bound caravan, which left northern Honduras in mid-October is moving north at about 30 miles (48 km) a day through southern Mexico. It has become a major campaign issue ahead of US congressional elections on November 6. Mexico's Interior Minister Alfonso Navarrete on Wednesday put the size of the first caravan at 2,800 to 3,000, below the government`s previous estimate of about 3,500. Participants in the caravan have put the number significantly higher. Dozens of the men, women and children in that caravan told Reuters they were abandoning their homelands to seek asylum from a mixture of poverty, violence and corruption. "We`re now in an unprecedented situation in the country," Navarrete told reporters in Mexico City. "This is not merely a caravan ... it`s a migratory exodus." The bulk of illegal immigrants intercepted at the US border are from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Trump said he could send up to 15,000 troops to the US-Mexico border, which is already heavily policed by border guards. "It scares us a little. But since we`re seeing a ton of people going together, we can help one another to cross," said Jose Machado, a migrant departing from San Salvador, his backpack stuffed with clothing and toiletries. Trump, who has threatened to slash US aid to Central America and close the US border with Mexico, said in a tweet on Wednesday that Mexico needs to keep up efforts to discourage the migrants, who he described as "tough fighters." A clash at the Mexico-Guatemala border on Sunday left one migrant dead and several law enforcement officers injured. "Mexican soldiers hurt, were unable, or unwilling to stop Caravan. Should stop them before they reach our Border, but won't!" Trump said on Twitter. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders on Wednesday praised Mexico`s actions to slow the movement of people, but told Fox News: "They can do more." Police estimated the two groups leaving San Salvador numbered around 1,000 each. One left around dawn, followed by the second later in the morning. Some waved Salvadoran flags as motorists honked in support and shouted "God bless you."

New migrant caravan departs El Salvador for US

A strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit in the Pacific off the coast of El Salvador on Sunday, shaking people in the western portions of the country near the border with Guatemala but causing no damage.

The US Geological Survey said the tremor occurred 24 kilometres under the surface. Its epicentre was 93.4 kilometres southwest of the Salvadoran coastal town of Acajutla.

Carlos Lopez Mendoza of the Salvadoran Red Cross said officials had checked throughout the affected area without finding any indications of problems. 
"There are no reports of damages or victims," he said.

Pedro Escamilla, who lives in Santa Tecla, 10 kilometres west of the capital, said the quake was not violent. 
"It was a long, swaying, but gentle earthquake," he said.

A strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit in the Pacific off the coast of El Salvador on Sunday, shaking people in the western portions of the country near the border with Guatemala but causing no damage.

A strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit in the Pacific off the coast of El Salvador on Sunday, shaking people in the western portions of the country near the border with Guatemala but causing no damage. The US Geological Survey said the tremor occurred 24 kilometres under the surface. Its epicentre was 93.4 kilometres southwest of the Salvadoran coastal town of Acajutla. Carlos Lopez Mendoza of the Salvadoran Red Cross said officials had checked throughout the affected area without finding any indications of problems. "There are no reports of damages or victims," he said. Pedro Escamilla, who lives in Santa Tecla, 10 kilometres west of the capital, said the quake was not violent. "It was a long, swaying, but gentle earthquake," he said.

6.1 magnitude quake hits off El Salvador; no damage reports

A man who fled to California from Texas after being questioned in the disappearance of two Houston relatives was arrested on suspicion of bludgeoning seven men, three fatally, in a string of Los Angeles-area attacks on mostly homeless victims, police said on Tuesday.

Ramon Escobar, 47, faces three counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder in a case that investigators plan to present to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office on Wednesday for formal charging, police said.

Los Angeles Police Department Captain William Hayes described Escobar as a "previously deported felon" who is originally from El Salvador and applied for and was possibly granted asylum in the United States.

Escobar spent five years in prison in Texas, from 1995 to 2000, on a burglary conviction, and was arrested on suspicion of assault and criminal trespass in Texas during the past two years, Hayes told a news conference.

Six of Escobar's seven alleged victims in California were homeless men, all of them assaulted during the past three weeks. Three were attacked while sleeping on the streets of downtown Los Angeles and three others while asleep on the beach in the adjacent seaside town of Santa Monica.

Three surviving victims remained hospitalized - two in a coma. A third was on life support, police said.

All were bludgeoned in the head. A baseball bat recovered from Escobar's car and a pair of bolt-cutters found at the scene of one of the attacks were identified as the weapons Escobar used, Hayes said.

The police captain told reporters that Escobar was apparently homeless himself and that robbery appeared to be his motive for the attacks, which Hayes called "crimes of opportunity."

Surveillance video caught the suspect rummaging through some of the victims' belongings, police have said.

Asked about an unconfirmed report that Escobar may have gone off the medication he was taking for a mental illness, Hayes said: "Nobody in their right mind would do something as vicious as this, but it still doesn't take the criminal culpability away from it."

"He is a violent predator," Hayes added.

Escobar was jailed without bond following his arrest in Santa Monica on Monday shortly after the latest attack. It was not clear if he had an attorney yet.

Hayes said Escobar was already considered a "person of interest" by Houston police investigating the disappearance of two relatives he had been living within that city. The two family members, identified by the Los Angeles Times as an aunt and uncle, went missing in late August.

Police found the charred wreckage of his aunt's van days after the couple went missing, the newspaper reported.

Hayes said Escobar was questioned by Houston homicide detectives on August 30 before he "fled the state of Texas," traveling by car to Southern California and arriving in Los Angeles on September 5. The first attack of which he is suspected occurred three days later.

A man who fled to California from Texas after being questioned in the disappearance of two Houston relatives was arrested on suspicion of bludgeoning seven men, three fatally, in a string of Los Angeles-area attacks on mostly homeless victims, police said on Tuesday.

A man who fled to California from Texas after being questioned in the disappearance of two Houston relatives was arrested on suspicion of bludgeoning seven men, three fatally, in a string of Los Angeles-area attacks on mostly homeless victims, police said on Tuesday. Ramon Escobar, 47, faces three counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder in a case that investigators plan to present to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office on Wednesday for formal charging, police said. Los Angeles Police Department Captain William Hayes described Escobar as a "previously deported felon" who is originally from El Salvador and applied for and was possibly granted asylum in the United States. Escobar spent five years in prison in Texas, from 1995 to 2000, on a burglary conviction, and was arrested on suspicion of assault and criminal trespass in Texas during the past two years, Hayes told a news conference. Six of Escobar's seven alleged victims in California were homeless men, all of them assaulted during the past three weeks. Three were attacked while sleeping on the streets of downtown Los Angeles and three others while asleep on the beach in the adjacent seaside town of Santa Monica. Three surviving victims remained hospitalized - two in a coma. A third was on life support, police said. All were bludgeoned in the head. A baseball bat recovered from Escobar's car and a pair of bolt-cutters found at the scene of one of the attacks were identified as the weapons Escobar used, Hayes said. The police captain told reporters that Escobar was apparently homeless himself and that robbery appeared to be his motive for the attacks, which Hayes called "crimes of opportunity." Surveillance video caught the suspect rummaging through some of the victims' belongings, police have said. Asked about an unconfirmed report that Escobar may have gone off the medication he was taking for a mental illness, Hayes said: "Nobody in their right mind would do something as vicious as this, but it still doesn't take the criminal culpability away from it." "He is a violent predator," Hayes added. Escobar was jailed without bond following his arrest in Santa Monica on Monday shortly after the latest attack. It was not clear if he had an attorney yet. Hayes said Escobar was already considered a "person of interest" by Houston police investigating the disappearance of two relatives he had been living within that city. The two family members, identified by the Los Angeles Times as an aunt and uncle, went missing in late August. Police found the charred wreckage of his aunt's van days after the couple went missing, the newspaper reported. Hayes said Escobar was questioned by Houston homicide detectives on August 30 before he "fled the state of Texas," traveling by car to Southern California and arriving in Los Angeles on September 5. The first attack of which he is suspected occurred three days later.

Suspect arrested in bludgeoning of 7 California men, 3 of them fatal

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/former-el-salvador-president-arrested-on-fraud-charges-8132">El Salvador should apply a moratorium on laws</a> that punish women with harsh jail terms for having an abortion while it reviews cases of those already incarcerated in the socially conservative Central American country, a top UN&nbsp;official said Friday.

Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement he spent part of his two-day trip meeting with women imprisoned for the crime of &quot;aggravated homicide&quot; due to what he described as obstetric emergencies.

&quot;I am appalled that as a result of El Salvador&#39;s absolute prohibition on abortion, women are being punished for apparent miscarriages and other obstetric emergencies, accused and convicted of having induced termination of pregnancy,&quot; he said in a statement.

He called on authorities to review all cases of women detained for offences related to abortion, which the local Citizen Group for the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/brazil-protest-against-abortion-ban-6701"> Decriminalization of Abortion</a> puts at 27 cases in which exclusively poor women have been sentenced to jail terms of six to 35 years.

Al Hussein proposed that the review is conducted by presidential decree and carried out by an expert committee that would include international members.

Calls to<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/powerful-quake-rocks-el-salvador-nicaragua-tsunami-alert-put-off-9290"> El Salvador&#39;s</a> communications ministry seeking comment on Al Hussein&#39;s comments were not immediately returned.

Since 1997, the Central American country has had one of the most severe laws targeting women and people who assist with abortions.

Last year, the party of leftist President Salvador Sanchez Ceren proposed that Congress reform the country&#39;s abortion law to allow for exceptions to the blanket prohibition.

The exceptions would include instances when the life of the mother is at risk, when the pregnancy resulted from rape or human trafficking, or when the fetus suffers from a malformation that would render it inviable.

El Salvador should apply a moratorium on laws that punish women with harsh jail terms for having an abortion while it reviews cases of those already incarcerated in the socially conservative Central American country, said UN official

El Salvador should apply a moratorium on laws that punish women with harsh jail terms for having an abortion while it reviews cases of those already incarcerated in the socially conservative Central American country, a top UN official said Friday. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement he spent part of his two-day trip meeting with women imprisoned for the crime of "aggravated homicide" due to what he described as obstetric emergencies. "I am appalled that as a result of El Salvador's absolute prohibition on abortion, women are being punished for apparent miscarriages and other obstetric emergencies, accused and convicted of having induced termination of pregnancy," he said in a statement. He called on authorities to review all cases of women detained for offences related to abortion, which the local Citizen Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion puts at 27 cases in which exclusively poor women have been sentenced to jail terms of six to 35 years. Al Hussein proposed that the review is conducted by presidential decree and carried out by an expert committee that would include international members. Calls to El Salvador's communications ministry seeking comment on Al Hussein's comments were not immediately returned. Since 1997, the Central American country has had one of the most severe laws targeting women and people who assist with abortions. Last year, the party of leftist President Salvador Sanchez Ceren proposed that Congress reform the country's abortion law to allow for exceptions to the blanket prohibition. The exceptions would include instances when the life of the mother is at risk, when the pregnancy resulted from rape or human trafficking, or when the fetus suffers from a malformation that would render it inviable.

UN calls on El Salvador to stop jailing women for abortion

The small town of Nejapa in El Salvador is home to a rather bizarre festival. Bolas de Fuego, literally meaning &ldquo;balls of fire,&rdquo; involves throwing fiery gasoline-soaked rags at one another.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lR_y80ILWk4" width="970"></iframe>

The ceremony commemorates the volcanic eruption of 1922 that forced residents to flee the old town, which was destroyed completely in the fire. The church claims that the eruption was god&rsquo;s way to drive away the evil from the town. 
The tradition has gained more and more attention over the past decade, with few injuries being reported.&nbsp;

Residents of Nejapa celebrate a religious rite where youngsters throw fiery fuel-soaked rags at each other.

The small town of Nejapa in El Salvador is home to a rather bizarre festival. Bolas de Fuego, literally meaning “balls of fire,” involves throwing fiery gasoline-soaked rags at one another. The ceremony commemorates the volcanic eruption of 1922 that forced residents to flee the old town, which was destroyed completely in the fire. The church claims that the eruption was god’s way to drive away the evil from the town. The tradition has gained more and more attention over the past decade, with few injuries being reported.

Video: El Salvador's Fireball throwing Festival

The nations,?together known as the Northern Triangle, are plagued by?gangs dealing in murder, extortion and drugs

Presidents of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras have announced the formation of a joint force to combat gangs and organised crime groups that have made their countries among the most dangerous in the world. ? The initiative by the three Central American presidents will begin to be implemented in September, Salvadoran President Salvador S?nchez Cer?n told a news conference after a meeting with his counterparts in his capital city. A joint team of police and soldiers from the three countries will patrol the border areas to check arms and drug smuggling, and also the movement of criminals and gang members, he said. The nations, together known as the Northern Triangle, are plagued by gangs dealing in murder, extortion and drugs. Collectively, there were 17,422 murders in the three countries last year and the homicide rate in each nation is topped only by countries engulfed in war. S?nchez Cer?n, Guatemala's Jimmy Morales and Honduras’ Juan Orlando Hernandez also agreed to keep exchanging intelligence on criminal groups and to speed the arrest and extradition between their countries of wanted suspects. "We are fighting for the most fundamental of human rights, the right to life, the right to liberty, the right to enjoy the fruits one one`s honest labours," Hernandez said. (AFP)

El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras form anti-gang force

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