Repression and criminalization in El Salvador

The CLACSO Steering Committee and its Member Centers in the Central American region endorse the calls for justice regarding the arbitrary detention of Fidel Zavala , spokesperson for the Community Rights Defense Unit of El Salvador (Unidehc), and the illegal raids against this organization and its lawyer, Ivania Cruz , which took place on Tuesday, February 25, in the city of San Salvador. These events are part of a pattern of similar actions of repression, criminalization, and intimidation occurring within the framework of the state of emergency, which has been in effect for 36 months. These actions are serious because they reflect a systematic persecution of those who defend human rights and denounce state abuses.

We stand in solidarity with human rights defenders in El Salvador and support their demands for respect for due process, as well as their calls for immediate release and an end to these forms of harassment.

CLACSO Steering Committee
Member Centers in the Central American Region
February 28th 2025