Osiris Luna

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Luna and the second or maternal family name is Meza.
Osiris Luna
General Director of Penal Centers
Assumed office
18 June 2019
PresidentNayib Bukele
Preceded byOrlando Molina Ríos (interim)
Vice Minister of Justice and Public Security
Assumed office
18 June 2019
PresidentNayib Bukele
Preceded byPosition established
Deputy of the Legislative Assembly
In office
1 May 2018 – 18 June 2019
ConstituencySan Salvador
Personal details
Born
Osiris Luna Meza

(1989-02-08) 8 February 1989 (age 35)
El Salvador
Political partyGrand Alliance for National Unity
OccupationPolitician

Osiris Luna Meza (born 8 February 1989) is a Salvadoran politician who currently serves as the General Director of Penal Centers and the Vice Minister of Justice and Public Security. He previously served as a deputy of the Legislative Assembly from the department of San Salvador from 2018 to 2019.

Early life[edit]

Osiris Luna Meza was born on 8 February 1989 in El Salvador.[1] His mother is Alma Yanira Meza Olivares.[2] Luna is a member of the Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA) and is a close friend of Guillermo Gallegos, one of the party's most prominent members.[1]

Early political career[edit]

In 2018, Luna was elected as a deputy of the Legislative Assembly from the department of San Salvador as a member of GANA. Sonia Maritza López Alvarado was elected as Luna's substitute deputy.[3] Luna was a member of three legislative commissions: the Commission for the Family, Children, Adolescents, Older Adults, and People with Disabilities; the Commission for External Relations, Central American Integration, and Salvadorans in the Exterior; and the Commission for Municipal Affairs.[4]

As a member of the Legislative Assembly, Luna presented legislation to modernize and promote self-sustainability in the country's prisons. He was a member of five legislative commissions. He also served as the head of the Penitentiary Overcrowding Reduction Plan as a part of the General Directorate of Penal Centers (DGCP).[5] Prior to the inauguration of President Nayib Bukele during the procession of the deputies of the XII Legislative Assembly, Luna was reportedly one of the few deputies which the crowd in attendance applauded.[6]

General Director of Penal Centers[edit]

On 4 June 2019, Rogelio Rivas, the Minister of Justice and Public Security, named Luna his selection to become the General Director of Penal Centers[5] to replace Orlando Elías Molina Ríos who was serving in an interim capacity,[7] however, the Legislative Assembly blocked his appointment. To circumvent the Legislative Assembly, Bukele appointed Luna as the Vice Minister of Justice and Public Security on 18 June 2019, and that Luna would assume office as General Director of Penal Centers as a result. Luna resigned as a deputy of the Legislative Assembly upon his appointment.[8][9] Luna promised to "carry out an audit into the financial and work aspects" ("hacer una auditoría en el aspecto financiero y de trabajo") within the DGCP and to "seek to clarify" ("buscará esclarecer") the internal organization of the country's prisons.[10]

Between 24 and 27 April 2020, a total of 77 people were murdered in El Salvador, and Bukele alleged that the murders were organized by gang members within the country's prisons. He ordered Luna to lockdown the country's prisons, lock inmates in their cells for 24 hours, and place the gangs' leaders in solitary confinement indefinitely. Luna later tweeted that "not even a single ray of sunlight will enter any of these cells".[11]

Luna guiding Bukele and other government officials on a tour of CECOT.
External videos
video icon Osiris Luna guiding President Nayib Bukele on a tour of CECOT.

Between 25 and 27 March 2022, a total of 87 people were murdered in El Salvador. The series of murders led to Bukele calling for a large-scale gang crackdown and state of exception which was approved by the Legislative Assembly on 27 March 2022.[12] Since the beginning of the crackdown, thousands of alleged gang members have been arrested, and Luna assured that everyone arrested during the crackdown would be thoroughly investigated and that the arrests made were not arbitrary.[13] He also stated that individuals who died while incarcerated died due to poor health, adding that "no deaths have been confirmed within prisons that are not linked to health issues" ("no se ha confirmado ninguna muerte dentro de los centros penales que no esté vinculada al tema de salud").[14] On 1 February 2023, Bukele posted a video on Twitter of him being led by Luna on a tour of the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a newly built prison in Tecoluca with a capacity for 40,000 prisoners. The prison was built to hold individuals arrested during the gang crackdown.[15] Luna stated that prisoners would be made to work to "compensate for some of the damage they did to society" and that "all the terrorists who [caused] grief and pain to the Salvadoran people will serve their sentences [...] under the most severe regime".[16]

On 3 November 2022, Luna announced that the government had begun to destroy the gravestones of deceased gang members, tweeting that "in El Salvador there is NO space for terrorists" and that "terrorists [gang members] will no longer be able to 'glorify' the memory of dead criminals". He also published images of gravestones being destroyed. Although the gravestones themselves would be destroyed, the government stated that the gang members' bodies would not be disturbed.[17]

Controversies[edit]

Allegations of misusing public funds[edit]

In November 2019, controversy arose over Luna not disclosing how he paid for a private flight to Los Angeles, arguing that he only has to report flights paid for with public funds. After an image of him on a private jet traveling to Mexico to meet with security contractors was leaked, Luna stated that he traveled to and from Mexico on Avianca El Salvador and he traveled within Mexico on private jets with no expense. A few days after Luna's statement, Bukele added that Luna's flight was not paid for by public funds.[18] In November 2022, the National Civil Police initiated an investigation into Luna regarding his 2019 flights to Mexico. The Police Intelligence Subdirectorate alleged that Luna financed the flight with public funds.[19]

In September 2021, Revista Factum alleged that Luna had illegally used US$8.5 million of funds from prison stores and that he had transferred deposits of US$300 to prisoners, twice the legal deposit amount. Revista Factum alleged that his actions violated at least four sections of the Regulations of the Penitentiary Law. Luna denied having transferred the deposits.[20] That same month, the El Faro digital newspaper alleged that Luna, his mother, and a DGCP employee had illegally sold 42,909 food packets containing rice, beans, maize, and oil intended for COVID-19 patients as a part of the Health Emergency Program. El Faro alleged that Luna earned US$1,609,087.50 from the sales.[2]

In September 2023, Cristosal, a non-governmental organization, petitioned the office of the attorney general to launch an investigation into Luna alleged corruption and crimes committed as General Director of Penal Centers.[21]

Allegations of negotiating with gangs[edit]

Video surveillance inside a prison supposedly depicting Luna (labeled 1) during alleged negotiations with gangs.

In September 2020, the El Faro alleged that Luna and Carlos Marroquín, the chairman of the Social Fabric Reconstruction Unit, had secretly negotiated with the country's criminal gangs on behalf of Bukele's government. El Faro claimed that it acquired logbooks reportedly showing Luna and Marroquín entering the Zacatecoluca and Izalco prisons to meet and negotiate with imprisoned gang leaders. El Faro alleged that both men negotiated allowing prison privileges, repeal anti-gang laws, and transfer specific prison guards the gang members viewed as being aggressive in exchange for the gangs supporting Nuevas Ideas in the upcoming 2021 legislative election.[22] Bukele denied the allegations made against Luna and Marroquín.[23] Luna also denied the allegations, stating that "I have not and will not participate in any such meeting [...] these kinds of activities aren't who I am".[24]

In July 2021, the United States Department of State named Luna as of six Salvadoran government officials as being corrupt. His named was added to the Engel List—a report which lists individuals in Central America accused of corruption or undermining democracy—and subsequently had his travel visa to the United States canceled.[25] On 8 December 2021, the United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned both Luna and Marroquín, claiming that both secretly negotiated with criminal gangs in El Salvador to lower the country's homicide rate and support the government in exchange for privileges for imprisoned gang leaders.[26] Following the sanctions against Luna being instated, the United States Department of Justice began preparing indictments against both Luna and Marroquín for allegedly negotiating a truce with the gangs. Bukele rejected the sanctions against both Luna and Marroquín as "absurd"[27] and described it as the United States demanding "absolute submission".[26]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Osiris Luna Meza". El Faro (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b Lemus, Lissette (22 September 2021). "Cristosal Denuncia Presuntos Actos de Corrupción en Venta de Paquetes Alimenticios por Parte de Osiris Luna" [Cristosal Denounces Alleged Acts of Corruption in the Sale of Food Packages by Osiris Luna]. El Diario de Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Memorial Especial – Elecciones 2018" [Special Memory – 2018 Elections] (PDF). Supreme Electoral Court (in Spanish). 2018. p. 105. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Osiris Luna Meza". Legislative Assembly of El Salvador (in Spanish). San Salvador, El Salvador. c. 2018. Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Ministro de Seguridad Nombra a Osiris Luna Meza como Director de Centro Penales" [Minister of Security Names Osiris Luna Meza as Director of Penal Centers]. Diario la Huella (in Spanish). 4 June 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  6. ^ "Osiris Luna de los Pocos Diputados que el Pueblo Aplaudió en la Plaza Barrios" [Osiris Luna was One of the Few Deputies which the People Applauded in the Barrios Plaza]. Diario la Huella (in Spanish). 2 June 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  7. ^ Calderón, Beatriz (8 June 2019). "Bukele Despide a Familiares de Sánchez Cerén de Centros Penales y a 15 Personas que Dejaron a El Salvador "Sin Directores de Educación"" [Bukele Fires Sánchez Cerén's Affiliates from Penal Centers and 15 People Who Left El Salvador "Without Education Directors"]. La Prensa Gráfica (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  8. ^ "Osiris Luna es Nombrado Viceministro de Justicia y Asumirá Ad Honorem la DGCP" [Osiris Luna is Named as Vice Minister of Justice as Assumes as DGCP Ad Hoc]. Periodico Equilibrium (in Spanish). 18 June 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  9. ^ "Presidente Nayib Bukele Sortea Bloqueo en Asamblea Legislativa con Nuevo Nombramiento de Funcionario" [President Nayib Bukele Avoids Blockade in Legislative Assembly with New Appointment of Official]. Ministry of Justice and Public Security (in Spanish). 19 June 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  10. ^ Arévalo, Mariana (6 June 2019). "Nuevo Director de Centros Penales Auditará Programa "Yo Cambio"" [New Director of Penal Centers Will Audit the "I Change" Program]. La Prensa Gráfica (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  11. ^ "El Salvador: Inhumane Prison Lockdown Treatment". Human Rights Watch. Washington, D.C., United States. 29 April 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  12. ^ Reed, Betsy, ed. (28 March 2022). "El Salvador Locks Down Prisons After Wave of 87 Killings Over Weekend". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  13. ^ Martínez, Lilian (26 July 2022). ""Las Capturas no son Antojadizas, Sino Técnicas", Asegura Osiris Luna" ["The Captures are not Whimsical, but Technical," Assures Osiris Luna]. El Diario de Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  14. ^ Lemus, Lissette (18 October 2022). "Osiris Luna Asegura que las Muertes en Penales son por Problemas de Salud" [Osiris Luna Ensures that Deaths in Prisons are Due to Health Problems]. El Diario de Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  15. ^ Romero, Fátima (1 February 2023). "Bukele Presenta "la Cárcel más Grande de América" para 40,000 Reos" [Bukele Presents "the Biggest Prison in America" for 40,000 Inmates]. Bloomberg Línea (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  16. ^ "El Salvador's Bukele Defends 'Gangster' Mega-Prison". France 24. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  17. ^ "El Salvador Destroys Gang Members' Gravestones". France 24. San Salvador, El Salvador. 3 November 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  18. ^ Alevar, Bryan (29 November 2019). "Osiris Luna se Niega a Revelar Quién Pagó sus Vuelos Secretos" [Osiris Luna Refuses to Reveal Who Paid for His Secret Flights]. Revista Factum (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  19. ^ Alvarado, Jimmy (November 2022). "Inteligencia Policial del Actual Gobierno Perfila a Osiris Luna como un Delincuente" [Police Intelligence of the Current Government Profiles Osiris Luna as a Criminal]. El Faro (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  20. ^ Cáceres, Mirella (11 September 2021). "Factum Revela que Osiris Luna Tomó $8.5 Millones de Tiendas" [Factum Reveals that Osiris Luna Took $8.5 Million from Stores]. El Diario de Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  21. ^ Sandoval, Williams (21 September 2023). "Piden a Fiscalía que Investigue Posibles Delitos de Funcionarios Salvadoreños" [They Ask the Attorney General to Investigate Possible Crimes Committed by Salvadoran Officials]. La Prensa Gráfica (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  22. ^ Martínez, Carlos; Martínez, Óscar; Arauz, Sergio; Lemus, Efren (September 2020). "Bukele Has Been Negotiating with MS-13 for a Reduction in Homicides and Electoral Support". El Faro. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  23. ^ Delcid, Merlin (4 September 2020). "Nayib Bukele Niega Supuesto Pacto con Pandillas para Reducir Homicidios en El Salvador" [Nayib Bukele Denies Alleged Pact with Gangs to Reduce Homicides in El Salvador]. CNN en Español (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  24. ^ Grant, Will (3 October 2020). "Did El Salvador's Government Make a Deal with Gangs?". BBC. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  25. ^ Sanz, José Luis; Rauda, Nelson (July 2021). "State Department Accuses Four Senior Bukele Officials of Corruption". El Faro. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  26. ^ a b McFarland, Stephen (15 December 2021). "From Bad to Worse: Nayib Bukele's Split with Washington". Americas Quarterly. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  27. ^ Kinosian, Sarah; Jorgic, Drazen; Spetalnick, Matt; Renteria, Nelson (10 December 2021). Flynn, Daniel; O'Brien, Rosalba (eds.). "Exclusive: U.S. Preparing Indictments Against Salvadoran Officials Over Alleged Pact with Gangs –Sources". Reuters. San Salvador, El Salvador. Retrieved 20 September 2023.

Further reading[edit]

Legal offices
Preceded by
Orlando Elías Molina Ríos (interim)
 General Director of Penal Centers
2019–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
New office Vice Minister of Justice and Public Security
2019–present 		Incumbent
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