Human rights activists have raised concerns, as the government of El Salvador arrests more than 14,000 people in three weeks

The arrests come in response to a spike in gang violence across the nation.

In March this year, 87 people were murdered in a single weekend, which led President Nayib Bukele to tighten state powers and suspend civil liberties.

El Salvador has one of the highest homicide rates in the world, but human rights groups claim the President is using the violence as an excuse to consolidate power.

“The number of detentions is incomparable to anything El Salvador has seen in past government crackdowns on gang violence.” Says Abraham Abrego of the Salvadoran human rights organisation Cristosal.

Human Rights Watch researcher Juan Pappier says the new restrictions “are not simply harsh laws against gang members.”

“They are laws that put all Salvadorans at risk”

Juan Pappier, human rights watch researcher

On April 5 the government passed a law stopping the media from sharing gang, or any messages that could create panic in the population.

The maximum penalty for the law is 15 years in prison, because of this four journalists have already left the country.

In response, the government has denied any wrongdoing.

On Twitter Bukele accused NGO’s, the media, political parties and other governments of defending gang members.