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”.

Her arrest “raises serious concerns about the increasing risks faced by human rights defenders in El Salvador”, it added.