El Salvador's Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) on Monday suspended the state of emergency decreed by President Nayib Bukele to combat the coronavirus pandemic, a measure that was rejected by Congress.
"A precautionary measure is decreed in the sense that the effects of Executive Decree number 18 are immediately and provisionally suspended," stated a resolution of the Constitutional Chamber, the highest instance of the CSJ, admitting a claim of unconstitutionality.
The Constitutional Chamber warned that "while the unconstitutionality process is pending, the authorities of the Executive body may not exercise any of the powers established by said regulations."
"The effects of any act or rule that is a consequence of the aforementioned Decree are suspended," stated the resolution of the CSJ.
The highest court of law, asks Bukele to render a report within ten days, so that he can rule on the "constitutionality" of Executive Decree 18 that he enacted on Saturday.
The state of emergency, approved on April 30 by the Legislative Assembly, expired on Saturday night but, under the protection of an article of the Civil Protection Law, Bukele extended it for a month.
On Thursday the Legislative Assembly had declined to extend it.
"And in an unprecedented act, @SalaCnalSV takes away a power from the Presidency of the Republic, a power that all presidents in El Salvador have had and used, in times of emergency," Bukele reacted on Twitter, before the resolution judicial.
The state of emergency empowers the government to restrict freedom of movement and assembly of people, among other rights, keeps classes suspended and defer payment of services, in addition to allowing it to use funds from executive institutions to deal with the pandemic.
On Sunday, the prosecution accused the Bukele government of usurping powers from Congress for decreeing the extension, and also filed an unconstitutionality suit with the Supreme Court of Justice.
According to a last official balance, El Salvador registered 1,413 cases of contagion of the new coronavirus on Monday, with 30 people dead.
The Constitutional Chamber warned that "while the unconstitutionality process is pending, the authorities of the Executive body may not exercise any of the powers established by said regulations."
"The effects of any act or rule that is a consequence of the aforementioned Decree are suspended," stated the resolution of the CSJ.
The highest court of law, asks Bukele to render a report within ten days, so that he can rule on the "constitutionality" of Executive Decree 18 that he enacted on Saturday.
The state of emergency, approved on April 30 by the Legislative Assembly, expired on Saturday night but, under the protection of an article of the Civil Protection Law, Bukele extended it for a month.
On Thursday the Legislative Assembly had declined to extend it.
"And in an unprecedented act, @SalaCnalSV takes away a power from the Presidency of the Republic, a power that all presidents in El Salvador have had and used, in times of emergency," Bukele reacted on Twitter, before the resolution judicial.
The state of emergency empowers the government to restrict freedom of movement and assembly of people, among other rights, keeps classes suspended and defer payment of services, in addition to allowing it to use funds from executive institutions to deal with the pandemic.
On Sunday, the prosecution accused the Bukele government of usurping powers from Congress for decreeing the extension, and also filed an unconstitutionality suit with the Supreme Court of Justice.
According to a last official balance, El Salvador registered 1,413 cases of contagion of the new coronavirus on Monday, with 30 people dead.