El Salvador arrests human rights lawyer helping deported migrants
Police in El Salvador arrested a prominent human rights lawyer and critic of President Nayib Bukele who helps imprisoned Venezuelan migrants deported by the United States, prompting appeals on Monday for her release.
A coalition of rights groups including Amnesty International said the arrest of Ruth Eleonora Lopez reflected a trend of growing authoritarianism under Bukele, an ally of US President Donald Trump.
The 47-year-old was detained late Sunday, accused of embezzling state funds when she worked for an electoral court a decade ago, the public prosecutor’s office said.
“Neither her family nor her legal team has managed to find out her whereabouts,” Cristosal, the rights group she worked for, said in a statement.
It called the authorities’ refusal to disclose Lopez’s location or grant her lawyers access “a blatant violation of due process”.