Concern over the arrest of José Iván Arévalo Gómez, defender of the rights of indigenous peoples in El Salvador

El CLACSO Working Group on Indigenous Peoples and Epistemic-Territorial Disputes We express our deep concern regarding the detention of José Iván Arévalo Gómez, a defender of the rights of Indigenous peoples, their ancestral territories, and the teaching of the Nahuat language in El Salvador, and a member of the Network of Territories of Life. His detention took place within the context of the state of emergency measures imposed by the government of Nayib Bukele, which have been denounced as human rights violations by Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations at the national and international levels.

José Iván Arévalo Gómez was arrested on Thursday, August 29th at 2:00 AM, and as of September 3rd, the responsible authorities had only reported that he was accused of alleged participation in illicit organizations. They have not provided information on his state of health, the place where he is being held, or his legal status, nor have they authorized him to be visited by his family.

This arrest under Nayib Bukele's state of emergency is one of hundreds of arrests of members of Indigenous and social organizations on charges of participating in criminal organizations. His arrest is of particular concern to our Working Group, given that Salvadoran human rights organizations such as Cristosal have documented a total of 261 people who have died in state custody under the state of emergency. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights itself, in its report "State of Emergency and Human Rights in El Salvador," dated June 28, 2024, documents human rights violations such as "illegal and arbitrary, systematic and widespread detentions; illegal searches of homes; abuses in the use of force; and violations of the rights of children and adolescents," and urges the Salvadoran state to restore the rights and guarantees suspended during the state of emergency.

The CLACSO Working Group on Indigenous Peoples and Epistemic-Territorial Disputes demands that Salvadoran state agencies allow visits by the family of José Iván Arévalo Gómez, that independent organizations verify his health and the conditions of his detention, and that they restore his constitutional rights and guarantees, especially the right to due process and non-discrimination. We demand that Attorney General Héctor Gustavo Villatoro Funes and the prosecutor in the case, Kricsia Nazareth Flores, release José Iván Arévalo Gómez.

The CLACSO Working Group on Indigenous Peoples and Epistemic-Territorial Disputes denounces the ongoing persecution of members of Indigenous Peoples' organizations who defend their territories and rights against development projects, including hydroelectric projects supported by the government, which conceals these violations of Indigenous Peoples' rights under the guise of fighting organized crime. We demand that the Salvadoran State respect international law, ratify Convention 169 of the International Labour Organization, and ensure its proper implementation to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples in the country.

9th September 2024
CLACSO Working Group
Indigenous Peoples and Epistemic-Territorial Disputes

This statement expresses the position of the Working Group Indigenous Peoples and Epistemic-Territorial Disputes and not necessarily that of the centers and institutions that make up the CLACSO international network, its Steering Committee or its Executive Secretariat.