Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media: 16 soldiers were injured, including four in critical condition, as a result of a security incident in the northern Gaza Strip
Israeli media: At least 10 soldiers injured in two serious incidents in the Gaza Strip
Brigadier General Shakarchi to Al Mayadeen: Hezbollah is an independent force defending its country, just like all resistance movements in the region
Brigadier General Shakarchi to Al Mayadeen: All Iranians set aside their differences and united to confront the aggression
Brigadier General Shakarchi to Al Mayadeen: Words like surrender or retreat do not exist in our books or dictionaries, and any aggression will be met with unforgettable blows
Brigadier General Shakarchi to Al Mayadeen: Many Western countries rushed to send weapons to the [Israeli] entity after the end of its aggression against Iran
Brigadier General Shakarchi to Al Mayadeen: In the event of any mistake or act of aggression, we will cross all red lines
Brigadier General Shakarchi to Al Mayadeen: The Israeli army and US forces deployed across West Asia are within the range of our armed forces' firepower
Brigadier General Shakarchi to Al Mayadeen: The United States is primarily responsible for the war on Iran, and we warn it, its proxy, and all those who support them against launching any new aggression
Brigadier General Shakarchi to Al Mayadeen: Bases in West Asia will bear the consequences if the United States or the Zionist entity attempt to violate the ceasefire

El Salvador arrests human rights lawyer supporting deported migrants

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 20 May 2025 00:05
  • 2 Shares
4 Min Read

The arrest of Ruth Eleonora Lopez, a prominent human rights lawyer and critic of President Nayib Bukele, has sparked heightened concerns about rising authoritarianism in El Salvador.

Listen
  • x
  • El Salvador arrests rights lawyer helping deported migrants
    A prison guard transfers deportees from the US to the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador on March 16, 2025. (AP)

Police in El Salvador have arrested Ruth Eleonora Lopez, a prominent human rights lawyer and vocal critic of President Nayib Bukele, prompting widespread condemnation from rights organizations and renewed concerns over the country's democratic backsliding.

Lopez, 47, leads the anti-corruption and justice unit at Cristosal, a human rights group that supports Venezuelan migrants deported by the US. She has also publicly opposed Bukele’s controversial anti-crime campaign, which has led to mass arrests of alleged gang members and has drawn international scrutiny.

According to El Salvador’s public prosecutor, Lopez was arrested late Sunday on charges of embezzling public funds during her time working for the country’s electoral court over a decade ago. However, critics say the arrest is politically motivated and part of a broader crackdown on dissent.

Cristosal reported that neither Lopez’s family nor her legal team has been able to determine her whereabouts, calling the authorities’ refusal to provide information or allow legal access “a blatant violation of due process.”

A coalition of rights groups, including Amnesty International, condemned the arrest, describing it as further evidence of rising authoritarianism under Bukele, a close ally of President Donald Trump.

Her arrest "raises serious concerns about the increasing risks faced by human rights defenders in El Salvador," the organizations said in a joint statement.

World's 'coolest dictator'

Related News

At least 50 migrants deported to El Salvador prison entered US legally

Gabbard fires NIC heads over Venezuela report contradicting admin.

Bukele remains highly popular domestically, largely due to his aggressive approach to combating gangs, but has drawn criticism for consolidating power and undermining democratic institutions. He has previously referred to himself as “the world’s coolest dictator.”

Lopez's international profile has grown in recent years; she was named to the BBC’s list of 100 most inspiring and influential women in the world in 2023, praised for her commitment to justice and legal reform.

A coalition of more than a dozen human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, issued a joint statement condemning the arrest of Lopez and calling for her immediate release.

The statement criticized El Salvador’s ongoing “state of exception,” saying it has been used not only to combat gang violence but also to suppress dissent, adding that "authoritarianism has increased in recent years as President Nayib Bukele has undermined institutions and the rule of law, and persecuted civil society organizations and independent journalists."

In March, using rarely invoked wartime powers, the Trump administration flew the Venezuelans to El Salvador without court hearings, accusing them of gang ties—allegations their families and lawyers strongly reject. El Salvador was reportedly paid by the US to detain them.

Last week, a law firm representing the Venezuelan migrants on behalf of the Caracas government alleged that the detainees had been subjected to both physical and psychological torture.

Crackdown on critics and migrant advocates

In a separate incident, Cristosal reported that police officers entered its headquarters in late April during a press conference, photographing and filming the premises, members of the media, and vehicles belonging to staff. The organization described the event as part of the ongoing climate of "authoritarianism, the closure of democratic spaces in El Salvador."

Meanwhile, El Salvador’s human rights commissioner, Andres Guzman, who had previously defended Bukele’s controversial anti-gang crackdown, announced his resignation on Monday.

Guzman, a Colombian lawyer, did not disclose the reason for his departure but said he had been “a privileged witness to a historic transformation” of the country from what he described as a past marked by “chaos and despair.”

  • El Salvador
  • Nayib Bukele
  • Donald Trump
  • Venezuela

Most Read

Syria demands 1/3 of Golan, Lebanese areas for 'Israel' peace deal

Syria demands 1/3 of Golan, Lebanese areas for 'Israel' normalization

  • MENA
  • 4 Jul 2025
Al-Qassam hits IOF groupings in Khan Younis; ‘tough incident’ reported

3 Israeli soldiers killed by Resistance gunfire in south, north Gaza

  • Palestine
  • 4 Jul 2025
Concrete and rubble fall from a heavily damaged building as Israeli soldiers search for survivors in a residential area hit by a missile fired from Iran, near Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, Sunday, June 15, 2025 (AP)

'Israel' concealed damage inflicted by Iran in war, report finds

  • Politics
  • 5 Jul 2025
Trump to discuss Gaza, Iran with Netanyahu at Monday meeting

Trump: 'Israel' accepts ceasefire terms, Hamas to get final proposal

  • US & Canada
  • 1 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
'Israel's Weizmann institute reels from 'unprecedented' damage
Palestine

'Israel's' Weizmann Institute reels from 'unprecedented' damage

'Israel' suffered $3 billion in losses from Iran’s attack on refinery
Palestine

'Israel' suffered $3bln in losses from Iran’s attack on refinery

UKMTO
Politics

Vessel attacked by small boats off Yemen’s Hodeidah, UKMTO reports

A Sheriff's deputy pauses while combing through the banks of the Guadalupe River near Camp Mystic after a flash flood swept through the area on July 5, 2025, in Hunt, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
US & Canada

Death toll from Texas floods reaches 70, including 21 children

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS