Salvadoran lawyer and Bukele critic Ruth López arrested

Published connected 20/05/2025 - 13:55 GMT+2•Updated 15:19

El Salvador's authorities person arrested a lawyer from 1 of nan country's starring quality authorities organisations, successful a improvement that critics of President Nayib Bukele opportunity is simply a motion of "authoritarianism" successful nan Central American nation.

Ruth López is accused of embezzlement during a erstwhile occupation moving for an electoral court.

The Bukele professional was detained precocious connected Sunday, according to her organisation, nan NGO Cristosal.

Neither her family nor her ineligible squad person been capable to corroborate her location aliases nan conditions of her detention.

López is nan caput of Cristosal's anti-corruption and justness unit, which has published dozens of reports and revenge ineligible cases related to authorities corruption.

Cristosal has been 1 of nan astir vocal critics of Bukele's ongoing authorities of emergency, which started much than 3 years agone arsenic a supposedly impermanent measurement to conflict nan country's gangs.

Under nan policy, immoderate basal authorities person been curtailed. The correct to stitchery is restricted, while detainees tin now beryllium held for 15 days without charges.

Since Bukele launched his warfare against nan gangs successful precocious March 2022, immoderate 85,000 group person been arrested, much than 1% of nan country's population.

Cristosal denounced connected Monday what it considers to beryllium a "flagrant violation" of López's rights, demanding that nan authorities instantly uncover her location to allay concerns astir her safety.

The organisation besides warned of nan "growing risk" faced by quality authorities defenders successful El Salvador, particularly successful a discourse wherever NGOs person travel nether nonstop disapproval from President Bukele.

The Inter-American Commission connected Human Rights (IACHR) besides expressed its "deep concern" complete López's arrest.

For its part, nan Attorney General's Office confirmed López's apprehension successful a statement, describing her arsenic a "trusted advisor and right-hand man" of Eugenio Chicas, a erstwhile judge of nan Supreme Electoral Tribunal.

According to nan Prosecutor's Office, López was allegedly progressive successful nan "theft of nationalist funds" during her collaboration pinch Chicas.

The lawsuit has raised siren among world organisations and activists, who judge nan business reflects nan deterioration of antiauthoritarian guarantees and nan norm of rule successful nan Central American country.

Organisations for illustration nan Washington Office connected Latin America (WOLA) and authorities groups for illustration Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned López's detention successful a associated connection connected Monday that called for her contiguous release.

"El Salvador’s authorities of objection has not only been utilized to reside gang-related unit but besides arsenic a instrumentality to soundlessness captious voices," they said.

"Authoritarianism has accrued successful caller years arsenic President Nayib Bukele has undermined institutions and nan norm of law, and persecuted civilian nine organisations and independent journalists," they added.

Earlier this month, immoderate journalists from El Faro, 1 of nan country's starring news organisations, fled into exile complete fears that nan authorities would apprehension them.

Since US President Donald Trump returned to nan White House successful January, Bukele has forged a adjacent narration pinch Washington.

In return for payment, nan Salvadoran president agreed to confine hundreds of US deportees successful a notorious situation successful El Salvador.