Human rights group WOLA (Washington Office on Latin America) issued a statement on Wednesday in solidarity with groups in El Salvador fighting for citizens unjustly detained following a major gang crackdown in the country in March 2022.
WOLA, along with 84 other advocacy groups, criticized the dramatic increase in surveillance and interference with human rights defenders by police and national intelligence agents. The measures known as the “state of exception” that came into force in March 2022 have made many advocacy groups the target of a concerted operation aimed at fragmenting their activities. For example, the Victims of the Regime movement came under police attack in July 2023 after a press conference under surveillance by government officials posing as journalists.
The statement also specifically calls for guarantees of rigor and transparency in the investigation into human rights lawyer Ivania Cruz by the Attorney General's Office, and for the granting of safeguards to protect the safety and exercise of freedom of spokespeople for major human rights organizations. The request was also outlined. Bans on expression and association, and the suspension of U.S. security assistance to El Salvador.
WOLA emphasized the importance of human rights monitoring organizations in El Salvador.
We condemn violations of the democratic rights of these human rights defenders, legal defenders, and community organizers, whose work is essential to a free and fair society, and those who seek to monitor, intimidate, and restrict their human rights work. We strongly condemn the use of state funds. exercise of their political rights.
Since March 2022, the Salvadoran government has implemented a crackdown in response to a significant increase in gang-related murders. To date, there have been 25 extensions of the exception by the Legislative Assembly, most recently his April 10th.
