The deployment and surveillance of the Defensoría del Consumidor (DC) shall also contribute to the lowering and stability of prices, likewise the monitoring of prices of basic products allows determining or establishing abusive practices such as the use of maneuvers or artifices for the achievement of unjustified price hikes.

"This is our commitment. We do not want certain groups to take advantage of this situation and generate a speculative wave against the daily economy of millions of salvadorans", said Ricardo Salazar, president of the Defensoría del Consumidor (DC).

The Defensoría del Consumidor warns that in case of identifying arbitrary price increases or restriction of sale of products in the national market, it will act and pursue illegal practices with all legal resources allowed by the current legal framework.

In case abusive practices to the detriment of consumers are detected, the sanctioning procedure will be activated with all the rigor of the law and will be coordinated with the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) in order to prosecute ex officio the conducts and practices that could constitute crimes related "to the market, free competition and consumer protection" such as hoarding, or false propagation, according to articles 233, 236 and 237 of the Penal Code.

According to article 18, paragraph h, of the Ley de Protección al Consumidor (LPC ), such practice constitutes a very serious infraction. According to art. 44, letter e, of the CPL, this practice may be sanctioned with up to US$500 monthly minimum wages in the industry.

Consumers have access to the "Precompra" price platform to consult and compare prices before purchasing, by entering the website https://precompra.defensoria.gob.sv/