On 27 March 2022, lawmakers in El Salvador’s legislative assembly approved a nationwide 30-day state of emergency, effective immediately, amid a recent spike in crime throughout the country. The decree limits freedom of assembly and gives government authorities increased access to private correspondence and communications. Additionally, police officers are allowed to make arrests without an arrest warrant. According to local officials, 62 people were killed in a single day on 26 March, compared to a total of 79 homicides reported during the previous month. The escalation in homicides has been largely attributed to gang violence. The National Police announced that five leaders of the MS-13 gang were arrested over the past weekend.