The authorities of the Ministry of the Interior have launched a new security plan to reduce crime and homicide rates in the country. Requisors, increased multisectoral operations and suspension of breaks for police officers are part of that new work model, but, according to analysts, these actions must be complemented with other strategies that are functional in the long term.
Sandino Asturias, an expert in security and justice issues, said it is important that the requisitions in prison centers be carried out, and have been actions that have implemented previous governments.
He added that the problem of the penitentiary system (SP), which has allowed those deprived of liberty “to have firearms” is evident.
On Tuesday, the National Civil Police (PNC) confiscated in sector 11 of the preventive for men in zone 18 two guns, one of them reported as stolen in Santa Rosa on November 19, 2024.
“It is more important to take control, because the requisition that evidences is all the corruption around the prison system, which allows all the illicit to enter,” he explained.
He commented that resuming control of prison centers is a priority to have a SP that works and rehabilitates the inmates.
Asturias said that requisitions are not sufficient actions and permanent measures are needed.
“It is not possible that in criminal centers the extortion can continue to be directed, murders are directed or committed, because they have even firearms within the penitentiary system,” he said.
In addition, he said that it is necessary to make a comprehensive reform and that the change of authorities was necessary to resume the authority of presidios in the control of the penalties.
“The criminal centers have to be under control of the State, under the norms of the State,” he explained.
Also, for Zoel Franco, security analyst, the requisition is the most viable tool for the SP and is used to prevent criminal acts within prison centers.
He added that the investigations have identified how prisoners have access to cell phones.
“That type of requisitions, of measures, have been carried out during all governments, during all SP, and I consider that this time it is becoming different,” he argued.
He showed that the authorities are possibly using another methodology, because criminal structures in the centers of deprivation of liberty feel threatened and are reacting.
At Franco, the Executive must intervene in a more comprehensive way to recover control, as they did in the maximum security prison Renovation 1, in Escuintla.
Asturias indicated in that regard that a penitentiary census must be made, divide those deprived of liberty according to their danger and establish an internal organization so that the State can carry out reintegration programs in the prison centers.
“The penitentiary centers are an important link of security, and first there must be adequate criminal investigation so that true criminals are purging penalties,” said Asturias.
Impunity of serious crimes
He added that there is impunity in serious crimes such as homicides, where there is no adequate criminal investigation.
“There are very high levels of impunity against homicidal violence. If we have impunity on serious crimes, crimes against life, and we have no rehabilitation, or resocialization, or control of criminal centers, then what we have is an overflowing violence, it is what we are living in the street every day,” said Asturias.
The analyst said that the actions that the authorities in prisons are historical, because the SP “had been forgotten for decades.”
“We see that there is political will to begin this process of resuming control, and some criminal control actions have been done,” he said.
Mingob says he made a readjust to reduce homicides
José Portillo, Deputy Minister of Security of the Ministry of the Interior, said they make a redesign of the services provided to society.
“We have had to make some methodological adjustments in the National Civil Police and Penitentiary System; these adjustments include that redefinition of service models,” he explained.
He commented that the penalties are still “crime universities”, so they execute requisitions in the El Boquerón prison, in Santa Rosa, and in the preventive for men in zone 18.
“In the Boquerón we have identified more than 300 deprived of liberty and we have found televisions, electronic devices, video games and even marijuana,” he said.
The official said that these actions are to reduce homicides and criminal incidence in the country.
He added that the requisitions are allowing to identify the needs of the system, such as the infrastructure and the little technology in the penalties to prevent them from entering illegal.
“What is the main objective of that? Having technologies that reduce the discretion of human talent. The acquisition and strengthening of the capacities of the penitentiary system is important,” he said.
Helver Beltetón, deputy general director of the PNC, said that these requisitions are aimed at disrupting all the privileges of prisoners in prison centers.
“Citizenship demands security and it is our obligation to provide it. We have identified that most homicides and extortion come from inside the country’s prisons and that we cannot allow it. The ideal would be to have suitable prisons, but in the absence of these, we will use the resource we have and the tools we have at this time,” said Belteteton.