In recent years, El Salvador has taken firm steps toward the modernization of the State. The digitalization of public services, the adoption of new technologies, and the promotion of more agile processes have been clear signs of a direction aligned with global trends. However, this transformation process also presents significant challenges that must be addressed with responsibility and sensitivity: one of them is the digital divide.

What does it mean to modernize with inclusion?
The digital divide is not limited to access to devices or connectivity. It also encompasses the level of digital skills, the understanding of online processes, and the ability to interact effectively with digital platforms. In a country like El Salvador, with territorial, socioeconomic, and generational diversity, this reality must be part of the analysis when designing and implementing technological public policies.

Modernizing involves more than replacing a physical service window with a digital one. It means ensuring that all sectors—from business sectors to local consumers—can understand, use, and benefit from the digital tools made available by the State.

A current example is the implementation of new electronic tools in notarial practice, derived from reforms to the Notary Law. This modernization was necessary and responds to international standards, but it has raised concerns among professionals with decades of experience who now face the challenge of adapting to electronic platforms they have never used.

These kinds of situations do not reveal a flaw in the system, but rather the need to accompany transformation processes with support measures, institutional pedagogy, training, and personalized technical assistance.

Another similar case occurs in rural areas where online systems have been implemented for agricultural procedures, without considering that many producers do not have internet coverage or sufficient digital skills. These realities must be taken into account so that public policies are not only modern but also fair and accessible.

A useful example to explain this is football. When IFAB modifies a rule of the game—for example, about offside or handballs in the penalty area—it is not enough to issue a statement. A dissemination process is needed, training for referees, coaching for players, and, often, a re-education of fans.

In other words, changes must be understood by all players in the game for them to work well in practice. The same applies to public administration: if we modernize without explaining, without training, without accompanying, the system not only becomes incomprehensible, but it can also generate resistance or frustration.

At Torres Legal we have found that the best way to implement sustainable changes in the State is to do so under a citizen-centered design approach. This means adapting processes to users’ realities, with accessible systems, clear language, multi-platform compatibility, and proper support.

As legal advisors in various areas of the public sector, we recognize that modernization should not be seen as an end in itself, but as a tool in the service of collective well-being. And for that tool to work, it must be understood and used by everyone.

Some actions we consider key to closing the digital divide during state modernization processes are:

1.Continuous training for public servants, regulated professionals, and users in general.

2. Design of intuitive and multilingual platforms, with accessibility for people with disabilities.

3. Establishment of hybrid service points (in-person-digital) in rural or low-connectivity areas.

4. Regulatory support that ensures a clear transition between traditional and digital, especially in legal and technical sectors.

El Salvador has a great opportunity ahead: to consolidate a modern, efficient, and accessible State. Digital transformation is an inevitable path, but it must be accompanied by criteria of inclusion, equity, and institutional empathy.

At Torres Legal we make the complex simple. We support our clients—public and private—on this path of transformation, ensuring that technology becomes an ally of development and not a new form of exclusion.

Because a country that bets on innovation must also bet on digital inclusion as the foundation of a full and participatory citizenship.