El Salvador president insists on closing casinos

The Attorney's General Office shares the same opinion, and his top representative, Félix Safie, said last week in a TV interview that next week it will present the bill to ban casinos.

However, according to the resolution of the Constitutional Hall of the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ), to decide if casinos continue operating or not is the power of the Legislative Organ and it cannot be performed by decree, because that would mean to invade the autonomy of the councils, which are, in the latest stance, forced to close these gambling centers, supported on that autonomy.

Saca pointed he will do an analysis of the legal scope of the resolution issued last week by the constitutional court.

Meanwhile, council of Antiguo Cuscatlán, in La Libertad, Milagro Navas, declared she was “repentant” that the local council had granted the operating license for two casinos in its territory, because the case has been politicized and has caused controversy, that's why it was agreed that no more business of that kind would be allowed.

She added she is not willing to pay any compensation generated by the closure of casinos which had been granted a license for several years. She also commented that just a breach of the pact performed for the opening of those business would allow their closure.