SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — Late Sunday, authorities in El Salvador arrested Ruth Eleonora López, an anticorruption lawyer affiliated with the human rights organization Cristosal. Her arrest raised significant concerns as the government accused her of participating in the embezzlement of funds during her previous government role. The arrest has sparked widespread condemnation from various sectors of society.
On Monday, Cristosal issued a statement denouncing López's arrest, labelling it as a "short-term enforced disappearance." The organization demanded immediate information regarding her whereabouts, reflecting the gravity of the situation. López serves as the head of Cristosal’s Anti-Corruption Unit, which has been a vocal critic of President Nayib Bukele’s policy decisions and actions.
Particularly contentious has been the ongoing three-year state of emergency implemented by President Bukele, which has resulted in the suspension of several fundamental rights, including due process. The state of emergency was enacted to combat gang violence, leading to significant restrictions on the rights to assembly, legal counsel, and even the right to be informed of legal rights. Under this emergency measure, authorities can detain individuals without charges for up to 15 days. To date, approximately 85,000 individuals have been arrested under this state of emergency.
Following the arrest, López's family and legal representatives reported that they were unaware of her location after police took her from her home shortly before midnight on Sunday. Cristosal criticized the government's refusal to disclose López's whereabouts or allow access to her legal team, describing this as a "blatant violation" of both due process and international standards concerning judicial protection.
The allegations against López stem from her previous role as an adviser to Eugenio Chicas, who was the president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal during the administration of President Salvador Sánchez Cerén from 2014 to 2021. Following his tenure in the court, Chicas transitioned to the Cabinet of Sánchez Cerén and also served as a congressman.
Chicas, who was detained in February, has also faced legal repercussions, having been convicted in a civil case for illegal enrichment alongside some relatives for actions committed between 2009 and 2021. He is currently undergoing prosecution on criminal charges related to this illegal enrichment. The Attorney General’s Office has stated that López was involved in the alleged embezzlement orchestrated by Chicas.
As the situation unfolds, the arrest of Ruth Eleonora López raises critical issues regarding the state of human rights and judicial integrity in El Salvador, particularly in the context of the current government’s stance against dissent and its aggressive tactics in the fight against corruption and crime. The international community continues to monitor the developments closely, as the implications of this case extend beyond López herself to broader questions about governance and human rights in the nation.
