El Salvador says it seized bombs ahead of president Bukele’s inauguration

BOGOTA, Colombia

El Salvador police reported to have broken up a plot to plant bombs ahead of President Nayib Bukele’s inauguration on Saturday.

The police said they seized dozens of bombs and arrested seven leaders of war veterans on Thursday night, accused of "planning attacks" for June 1 when Bukele assumes his second term.

"We have captured seven leaders of war veterans for planning attacks with explosives in various parts of the country for next June 1," the police wrote in its X account.

The police showed images of confiscated explosives that were supposedly going to be used to carry out what they described as "terrorist attacks." It also published an audio of one of the alleged suspects, as well as a list of their names, among them former congressman of the leftist FMLN party and guerrilla member Jose Melara. The police has identified him as "the one who financed these plans." It said some of the explosives were found in a raid on a former rebel stronghold, Guazapa, on the outskirts of San Salvador, the capital.

The seven leaders "were grouped in the so-called Salvadoran Insurrection Brigade, and their objectives were to detonate gas stations, supermarkets and public institutions," according to police investigations.

Social organizations, such as the Committee of Relatives of Prisoners of El Salvador, have denounced the detentions as "arbitrary."

"These actions only demonstrate the hatred and violence that the ruling regime exerts on opposition people and members of social and popular organizations, creating false testimonies to incriminate innocent people," the group that brings together relatives of detainees said in a statement.

Highly popular Bukele won a second term in his country’s presidential elections in February despite the country’s constitution banning reelection. He has maintained an emergency regime to combat violent criminal gangs that has allowed authorities to arrest more than 80,000 people and reduce the number of homicides.

Saturday's ceremony will be attended by the presidents of Argentina, Javier Milei, of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, and of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, as well as representatives of the United States government and the King of Spain, Felipe VI.