After the murder of a police officer in the Chalatenango department of northern El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele vowed to destroy the gangs.

“The gang members remaining in our country have just killed one of our heroes. But the human rights NGOs won’t say anything there, they just watch over the rights of criminals,” the president wrote.

The uniformed man was attacked by gang members while on patrol with other police officers and, according to Deputy Sheriff Guillermo Gallegos, is the first killed this year and the fourth since the anti-drug strategy was launched 14 months ago.

Following the incident, an alleged gang member was arrested at the scene.

“Let all ‘human rights’ NGOs know that we are going to exterminate these bloodthirsty killers and their associates, we will put them in prison and they will never come out,” Bukele stressed.

Afterwards, the Legislative Assembly approved the extension of the exceptional regime in force, which allows arrests without a warrant, the main tool of the “war” against the Bukele gangs, which has restored a climate of security in the Salvadoran streets.

With this extension, the state of emergency applies until 15 June.

“Do you understand why we have to continue with the Exceptional Regime until we COMPLETELY END this plague? This cowardly murder will not go unpunished. We will make them pay dearly for what they have done,” Bukele wrote.