Background on Nayib Bukele and His Popularity
Nayib Bukele, the current president of El Salvador, has garnered immense popularity within the country due to his firm stance on security and crime reduction. His hardline approach has led to historically low homicide rates.
Allegations of Misusing Exception Regime
On Thursday, human rights organizations in El Salvador accused the Bukele administration of attempting to control critical voices using the exception regime established three years ago to combat gangs.
Recently, authorities detained Ruth López, a lawyer from the renowned human rights NGO Cristosal, on May 18th. A few days prior, an environmental lawyer and a leading evangelical pastor of a rural cooperative protesting against the government were also apprehended.
Legal Charges Against Detained Individuals
David Ortiz, a lawyer representing the human rights organization Asociación de Derechos Humanos Tutela Legal “María Julia Hernández,” stated in a press conference that the exception regime’s primary purpose is not to ensure security but to exercise social control over those who do not align with the official discourse.
Ruth López, a 47-year-old head of the Anti-Corruption and Justice Unit at Cristosal, faces embezzlement charges from the Fiscalía while working as an advisor at the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE).
Alejandro Henríquez, an environmental lawyer, and José Pérez, an evangelical pastor and leader of a rural cooperative, are charged with “aggressive resistance” and “public disturbances.”
Intensifying Persecution of Human Rights Defenders
Ortiz highlighted that the persecution of individuals associated with human rights organizations has escalated in recent weeks. Samuel Ramírez, leader of the Movement of Victims of the Exception Regime, added that human rights defenders are now hesitant to speak out due to increased repression.
“The exception regime shows no mercy, targeting anyone who dares to voice dissent,” Ramírez stated.
Calls for International Attention
These organizations have urged the international community to pay closer attention to events in El Salvador. In a report presented to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) regarding the three years of the exception regime, Tutela Legal documented 1,077 cases of violations related to freedom, health, integrity, and other rights.
Alejandro Díaz, a lawyer for Tutela Legal, mentioned that the organization has not ruled out taking future action against the International Criminal Court (ICC) due to the severe human rights violations committed during the exception regime.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who is Nayib Bukele? Nayib Bukele is the current president of El Salvador, known for his strict security policies that have significantly reduced homicide rates.
- What is the exception regime? The exception regime is a legal framework established in El Salvador three years ago to combat gang violence. Critics argue that it is being misused by the Bukele administration to suppress dissenting voices.
- Who are the detained individuals and what are they accused of? Ruth López, an anti-corruption lawyer from Cristosal, faces embezzlement charges. Environmental lawyer Alejandro Henríquez and evangelical pastor José Pérez are charged with resisting aggressively and causing public disturbances.
- What is the response from human rights organizations? Human rights organizations in El Salvador have accused the Bukele administration of misusing the exception regime to silence critics and have called for international attention to the situation in the country.
- What actions have been taken by these organizations? These organizations have documented 1,077 cases of human rights violations and presented a report to the CIDH. They have also not ruled out taking future action against the ICC due to severe human rights violations during the exception regime.
