El Salvador: Human Rights Activist's Arrest Exposes Bukele's Crackdown

El Salvador: Human Rights Activist Ruth López Detained Amidst Growing Authoritarianism San Salvador – Human rights activist Ruth López, head of Cristosal's Anti-Corruption and Justice Unit, was arbitrarily detained on May 18th in El Salvador. The incident highlights a pattern of crackdowns on dissent under President Nayib Bukele's administration. López, known internationally for her work, was initially told by police that they were investigating a traffic incident. Upon leaving her home, she was arrested for embezzlement. Her family only located her 24 hours later, and it took another 72 hours before she could contact her legal team. "The detention of Ruth is not an isolated case, but one of the most well-known, showing the growing authoritarianism in El Salvador," said a journalist in the video. Cristosal immediately issued an international statement denouncing the arrest as arbitrary and a forced disappearance of short duration. This action occurred almost simultaneously with the resignation of Andrés Guzmán, the presidential commissioner for human rights. The video includes images of López's arrest, and footage of other alleged instances of similar treatment of critics of the Bukele administration. The events underscore concerns about shrinking civil liberties and the targeting of human rights defenders in El Salvador.