El Salvador added to the CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist

Introduction

El Salvador faces mounting restrictions on civic freedoms, with the country’s civic space rated as “obstructed” by the CIVICUS Monitor. The government, under President Nayib Bukele, extended a state of emergency initially introduced in March 2022, broadening its scope to target not only organised crime but also the media and government critics.

Following Bukele’s re-election in February 2024, serious concerns exist about a significant decline in respect for fundamental freedoms. As a result, the country was added to the Watchlist in July 2024 due to mounting evidence that the state of emergency, now in its third year, is undermining the rule of law and stifling peaceful dissent.

A joint submission by CIVICUS and partner organisations to the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) further spotlighted the crackdown. The UPR—a mechanism that reviews the human rights records of all UN Member States every four and a half years—offered an opportunity to assess El Salvador’s compliance with international standards. The report raised concerns over sweeping legal reforms that risk criminalising dissent and restricting the freedom of association.

The report examined recent legal reforms that constrain freedom of association and highlights concerns over a draft Foreign Agents Bill. It also documented escalating challenges faced by human rights defenders and ongoing violence and stigmatisation directed at environmental activists, LGBTQI+ and women’s rights activists. Journalists, too, encounter systemic intimidation through smear campaigns and persistent denial of access to information by state agents.

Expression

El Salvador’s President discredits El Faro after report uncovers public contract irregularities

On 22nd August 2024, President Nayib Bukele used his X account to discredit the independent outlet El Faro, dismissing it as a “pamphlet” disseminating “fake news”. His comments came in response to El Faro’s investigation into a multi-million-dollar procurement contract during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report alleges that the Salvadoran government, in April 2020, incurred a loss of USD 7 million linked to a USD 27 million milk contract with offshore intermediary Aroum Group Inc.—a company identified in the investigation as a shell entity.

According to El Faro, a Court of Accounts audit found that 510 of the 8,070 metric tonnes of powdered milk stipulated in the contract never arrived in the country. The undelivered quantity, valued at USD 1.73 million, combined with an alleged overcharge of USD 5.35 million on the remainder, amounted to a loss of USD 7 million in public funds. The report further indicated that the imported milk lacked prior certification for human consumption, raising public health and procurement transparency concerns.

Rather than address the allegations, President Bukele accused El Faro of manipulating purchase order dates—a claim refuted by the publication, which noted that the documents it shared publicly matched those referenced in the article. The President warned of possible legal consequences for “ideological falsehood”, a loosely defined charge that raises alarm over its potential use to silence dissent.

The press freedom organisation Article 19 condemned Bukele’s statements and denounced the threats as “intimidatory” and part of a broader pattern of stigmatisation targeting the press in El Salvador. Between 2020 and 2021, 22 journalists from El Faro were targeted with Pegasus.

Blocking of Telegram

On 15th September 2024, the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) and users of the platform X reported network interference involving the blocking of the messaging app Telegram. The disruption coincided with the publication of media reports concerning the death in custody of Alejandro Muyshondt, former National Security Adviser, and the alleged surveillance of political opponents and independent journalists by government officials.

An earlier incident occurred from 1st to 3rd June 2024 during the inauguration of President Nayib Bukele’s second term. During this period, users in El Salvador reported widespread difficulties accessing Telegram.

Press freedom organisations Access Now, Association of Journalists of El Salvador, Article 19 and the Central American Network of Journalists expressed concern regarding the lack of transparency and accountability surrounding these disruptions.

Independent journalists face tightened controls in legislative coverage

Independent journalists in El Salvador encountered intensified restrictions and surveillance while covering the National Assembly, particularly since May 2024. These measures, which disproportionately affect media outlets not aligned with the government, appear to reflect a deliberate policy implemented by the ruling Nuevas Ideas party under President Nayib Bukele.

Journalists reported a working environment marked by constant monitoring. Institutional staff accompany them throughout the building, including during private moments such as visits to the restroom. In contrast, journalists affiliated with pro-government media continue to enjoy unrestricted access to legislative spaces.

Access to opposition parliamentarians now requires prior authorisation, extensive identity verification and physical searches. Journalists must remain under escort by press personnel at all times, impeding spontaneous interviews and limiting coverage of dissenting political voices.

These restrictions have severely compromised independent reporting within the legislature—an essential space for democratic scrutiny.

Association

Trade unionists face retaliation after peaceful protest against budget cuts

On 21st October 2024, at least 60 public sector workers were reportedly dismissed following their participation in a peaceful protest against proposed budget cuts. The protest, known as the Marcha Blanca, took place on 19th October 2024 in San Salvador and brought together trade union members and employees from the education and health sectors. Protesters opposed provisions in the draft 2025 national budget that would suspend or eliminate the salary scale—a statutory mechanism guaranteeing step-based salary increases for public workers. The measure is considered a cornerstone of labour rights in the country.

Prior to the protest, union leaders reported instances of coercion and intimidation aimed at discouraging participation. Workers were allegedly pressured to sign documents withdrawing from the demonstration. Among those dismissed in the wake of the protest was Idalia Zúniga, Secretary General of the Salvadoran Teachers’ Front (Frente Magisterial Salvadoreño), who was notified of her termination two days after the protest. She attributed the dismissal to her trade union leadership and public stance against the proposed reforms. Her removal, along with others, appears to violate the union privilege—a legal protection in Salvadoran law that shields union representatives from reprisals linked to their organisational activities.

The dismissals reportedly targeted long-serving professionals, including teachers and healthcare workers with over 30 years of service. In the education sector, affected staff received formal notifications citing “administrative restructuring” as the reason for termination. These documents reportedly instructed recipients to remain silent about the circumstances of their dismissal. Health workers in several cases were dismissed verbally upon arriving at their workplaces, while administrative staff in the Ministries of Health, Education, and Finance were also affected.

On 24th October 2024, the situation escalated further when police violently detained nurse Jackelin Cristina González de Martínez at her home, hours after she publicly questioned her dismissal and suggested a connection to her support for the Marcha Blanca. Although she did not participate in the protest, authorities held her in custody for six days before releasing her.

A tribunal acquits the “Santa Marta 5” in landmark victory for environmental defenders

On 18th October 2024, a tribunal acquitted five prominent community leaders of all charges in a high-profile case. The group, known as the “Santa Marta 5,” had faced accusations of murder and illicit association in a trial that drew international condemnation and sparked widespread mobilisation across 31 countries.

The tribunal ruled that the five defendants—Miguel Ángel Gámez, Alejandro Laínez García, Pedro Antonio Rivas Laínez, Antonio Pacheco, and Saúl Agustín Rivas Ortega—were completely innocent of the charges laid against them. All five are members of the Economic and Social Development Association of Santa Marta (ADES), a community development organisation in the municipality of Victoria, Cabañas, which has played a key role in resisting mining projects and advocating for water rights in El Salvador.

The tribunal’s decision comes more than a year and a half after their detention on 11th January 2023, when police detained the men at the ADES office in Guacotecti. Human rights groups decried the charges as baseless and politically driven, highlighting the lack of credible evidence presented throughout the proceedings.

“We are grateful to the hundreds of national and international civil society organisations who worked tirelessly for more than 20 months to denounce this injustice. A guilty ruling would have been a death sentence for our colleagues, as the inhumane conditions of Salvadoran jails have become a death trap for people of advanced age who suffer from chronic health conditions,” said Vidalina Morales, president of ADES.

The five men had been central to the campaign that led to El Salvador’s historic 2017 ban on metallic mining—the first of its kind globally. That legislation, passed unanimously by the National Assembly, was hailed as a model for environmental governance in resource-rich but water-stressed regions. However, recent signals from the government suggest a potential rollback of this landmark protection, which has heightened fears of renewed extractive activity.