The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, speaks from the National Palace with his wife, Gabriela Rodríguez. Photo: Rodrigo Sura/EFE.
At least 34 human rights defenders remain imprisoned within the framework of the State of Emergency affecting the rights of citizens in El Salvador, according to organizations such as El Socorro Jurídico Humanitario (SJH) and the Network of Women’s Rights Defenders.
The imprisonment of activist and member of the Missing Persons Search Block, Verónica Delgado, who was captured on March 11 and accused of being a member of illicit groups, is the most recent case.
The director of strategic litigation of the Cristosal organization, Abraham Ábrego, stated that there is a tendency on the part of the authorities to imprison people who defend a group or a common good.
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“We have observed that, in some cases, the person who has been captured had a history of being an activist, a community leader, a member of municipal councils, water boards, or because they were active in the community, schools, or were part of grassroots organizations with a critical perspective of the government,” Ábrego said.
In a hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in 2023, these activists warned that 244 attacks on human rights defenders have been identified in the context of the prolonged emergency regime.
Of these, 87 were against women, 50 against men, two against trans women, and 38 against collectives. Among the 182 affected people, 244 attacks were recorded, the most recurrent being harassment, stigmatization, and cyberbullying, as well as arbitrary arrests and restrictions on journalistic practice.
The recently re-elected President Nayib Bukele signed a decree on March 28, 2022, declaring a State of Emergency. The administration claims that the measure is intended to combat criminal gangs. Several constitutional rights of Salvadorians have been suspended since then, even though the government and the population have acknowledged the defeat of the criminal gangs. Following several presidential renewals, the State of Emergency will reach two years of duration in the coming days.
Neither the US government, the European Union, or international human rights NGOs have mounted a significant campaign aiming to stop the widespread violation of human rights that has taken place during the State of Emergency.
(Telesur) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
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