Overview

• Ruth Eleonora López, head of Cristosal's Anti-Corruption Unit, was arrested on May 19, accused of embezzlement during her advisory role from 2009–2014.
• Authorities have refused to disclose López's location or grant access to her legal team, prompting Cristosal to label the situation a 'short-term enforced disappearance.'
• Cristosal and international rights groups have condemned the arrest as politically motivated, linking it to López's vocal criticism of President Nayib Bukele's administration.
• Under Bukele's ongoing three-year state of emergency, over 85,000 people have been detained, with widespread allegations of due process violations.
• López's detention raises broader concerns about increasing authoritarianism in El Salvador, with calls for her immediate release and protection of civil liberties.