Protesters denounce the increasing authoritarian and anti-democratic drift of President Nayib Bukele

San Salvador, October 18 (RHC)--Various Salvadoran organizations, platforms and social movements on Sunday took part in a day of protests and marches against the government of Nayib Bukele who they accuse of exercising his office with authoritarianism.

The largest demonstration began in the vicinity of Cuscatlán Park, in San Salvador, the capital, from where social organizations and collectives marched to the civic square with the aim of denouncing Bukele's anti-democratic actions.

Representatives of 34 organizations grouped in the Popular Resistance Bloc called on the population to join this Sunday's march, a protest to which also the union of independent judges joined because of what they called the blow to judicial independence in the face of the actions of Bukele's government.

In particular, the judges reject the decree promoted by the government that forced the retirement of judges over 60 years old, as well as transfers and the dismantling of some key courts, such as the First Criminal Chamber, Second Criminal Chamber, Environmental Chamber, as well as other arbitrary transfers.

However, strong police and military devices were deployed on the highways, boulevards and near the accesses to the capital, where security elements have stopped several collective transportation units and searched the passengers, as well as their belongings and the interior of the units.

Organizers of the protest denounced that a group of civilians on their way to the march had been intercepted by the authorities and unjustifiably detained, the passengers were taken off busses to verify that they were not carrying illegal artifacts; however, after a long period in which no anomalies were detected, the authorities proceeded to confiscate their vehicles leaving dozens of people stranded.

In recent months, the adoption by President Nayib Bukele of certain measures such as the bitcoinization of the country, a new judicial reform, the proposal of a constitutional reform, among others, has increased the magnitude of the protests of the organizations and social movements of the Central American country.