The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been a steadfast partner of El Salvador in advancing economic growth, promoting citizen security, and strengthening democracy. A fair, impartial and independent judiciary is essential to the democratic governance USAID supports in El Salvador and around the world, and a necessary precondition for combating corruption and attracting investment.
USAID is, therefore, gravely concerned by the Legislative Assembly's vote to remove all five magistrates of the Constitutional Chamber of El Salvador's Supreme Court and to remove the Attorney General, apparently without cause. An independent judiciary plays a critical role in the systems of checks and balances inherent in successful democracies.
USAID stands ready to assist a nation willing to remain on the path to democracy characterized by a vibrant civil society, a free press, respect for human rights, and the separation of powers.