{"id":1887756,"date":"2025-05-20T03:10:35","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T01:10:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pre.efe.com\/?p=1887756"},"modified":"2025-05-20T18:42:04","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T16:42:04","slug":"detained-lawyer-salvador-bukele-responsible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pre.efe.com\/en\/latest-news\/2025-05-20\/detained-lawyer-salvador-bukele-responsible\/","title":{"rendered":"Mother of detained Human Rights lawyer in El Salvador holds Bukele responsible"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
San Salvador, (EFE). \u2013 The mother of prominent Salvadoran human rights lawyer Ruth L\u00f3pez publicly blamed President Nayib Bukele for her daughter\u2019s arrest, calling for her immediate release in a press conference on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI demand Ruth\u2019s freedom, and I demand it from Nayib Bukele, because he is the one responsible for this,\u201d said Eleonora Alfaro, speaking alongside L\u00f3pez\u2019s partner, Louis Benavidez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
L\u00f3pez, a well-known anti-corruption attorney and head of the Anti-Corruption Unit at the NGO Cristosal, was detained Sunday night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the Attorney General\u2019s Office, she is being investigated for alleged embezzlement dating back to her time as an assistant to former government official Eugenio Chicas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authorities have not specified the amount of money in question or presented her before a judge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her family denounced the arrest as politically motivated and a violation of due process. \u201cThis is cruelty,\u201d Alfaro said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Benavidez emphasized that they have no information about L\u00f3pez\u2019s whereabouts and have not been allowed to speak with her or confirm her detention location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are deeply concerned because since the arrest last night, we have had no communication with her and do not know where she is being held,\u201d said Benavidez. \u201cThis is happening because of her work defending human rights.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Widespread condemnation from international and local voices<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
L\u00f3pez\u2019s arrest sparked a wave of condemnation from human rights organizations and international observers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
United States Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed concern over her \u201creported disappearance\u201d and called on the international community to \u201cspeak out when leaders arbitrarily imprison those in civil society who expose injustice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amnesty International (AI) also condemned the arrest, saying that the state of emergency in El Salvador, initially implemented to combat gangs, is now being used as a \u201ctool to silence critical voices.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
AI noted that L\u00f3pez was \u201crecognized for denouncing grave human rights violations and corruption.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More than 50 national and international human rights organizations demanded her immediate release and full access to legal representation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alianza Am\u00e9ricas warned from the United States that the lack of information regarding her detention amounts to a violation of due process and could be considered a forced disappearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued a statement urging Salvadoran authorities to disclose L\u00f3pez\u2019s location and guarantee her safety and judicial rights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The commission expressed \u201cdeep concern over allegations of forced disappearance,\u201d noting that L\u00f3pez was reportedly arrested by state security forces under an administrative order from the Attorney General\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cristosal Executive Director Noah Bullock stated that L\u00f3pez\u2019s legal team attempted to locate her but were met with \u201chostility\u201d from National Civil Police officers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe has investigated over 15 corruption cases involving the current government,\u201d said Bullock. \u201cThese are serious cases that have been ignored by authorities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ruth L\u00f3pez and the Bukele government\u2019s crackdown<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ruth L\u00f3pez has been a central figure in El Salvador\u2019s fight against corruption and impunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2024, she was named one of the BBC\u2019s 100 most influential women for her work in transparency and accountability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As head of the anti-corruption team at Cristosal, she has filed constitutional challenges, authored transparency reports, and brought formal complaints to the Attorney General\u2019s Office concerning the alleged misuse of state funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She also participated in hearings before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights regarding El Salvador and played a role in investigations into the government\u2019s 513 million dollar emergency cash distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic, alleging serious irregularities.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Cristosal, widely respected in Central America, has documented thousands of human rights violations linked to El Salvador\u2019s ongoing state of emergency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These include arbitrary arrests, torture, and deaths in state custody. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though the measure enjoys public support for reducing gang violence, critics argue it has become a permanent tool of social control under Bukele\u2019s administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The state of emergency, in effect since Mar. 2021, suspends key constitutional rights, such as access to legal defense, and limits administrative detention to 15 days without charges. Legal experts and rights groups warn that these conditions enable abuses and limit accountability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Human Rights Watch researcher Juan Pappier also condemned L\u00f3pez\u2019s detention, calling her \u201ca prominent lawyer who has exposed corruption under Bukele\u2019s government.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He described Cristosal as the leading human rights organization in El Salvador and noted that L\u00f3pez\u2019s arrest sends a chilling message to other activists and legal professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As of Monday night, L\u00f3pez\u2019s location remained unknown, and Salvadoran authorities had not provided further details on the case. EFE <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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