The Remains of 16 Victims of the El Mozote Massacre are Finally Laid to Rest
by alejandra sandoval Forensic authorities handed over the remains of 16 victims of the massacre at El Mozote, perpetrated by the army in 1981 during El Salvador’s civil war (1980-1992),on Wednesday to their families for burial. “This is important for us as relatives and victims that we are, because now we can finally say goodbye and […]
Cristosal Sues the Ministry of Health for Failing to Compensate the Deaths of Frontline Health Workers
by alejandra sandoval Cristosal filed 17 lawsuits against the Ministry of Health of El Salvador (MINSAL) for failing to compensate the families of public health workers who died between March 14 and July 23, 2020 as a result of Covid-19 or its complications. The families of health workers have been waiting for more than two […]
Communities of Usulután and Cristosal denounce the Salvadoran state for human rights violations during state of exception.
By alejandra sandoval Cristosal, on behalf of 66 victims from organized communities in Usulután, El Salvador, filed a complaint against the Salvadoran State before the IACHR for systematic human rights violations during the state of exception. According to the complaint, all of the detentions were arbitrary, with no motive or prior police, prosecutorial or judicial […]
A resistance women
Under the shade of a century-old tree, a group of more than 35 women gather to tell their story, which has been the most difficult and painful of their lives. Among these women is Arely, a young woman who tells how violence forced her and her family to flee their home and the human and […]
El Salvador: Leaked Database Points to Large-Scale Abuses
Mass Due Process Violations, Overcrowding, Poor Prospects for Justice By alejandra sandoval (New York – HRW) – A database obtained by Human Rights Watch supports findings of mass due process violations, severe prison overcrowding, and deaths in custody in El Salvador, Human Rights Watch and Cristosal said today. The database appears to belong to the […]
El Salvador: Widespread Abuses Under State of Emergency
Enforced Disappearances, Torture, Deaths in Custody, Hundreds of Arbitrary Arrests By alejandra sandoval (New York) – Salvadoran security forces have committed widespread human rights violations since the adoption of a state of emergency approved in late March 2022, in response to a peak in gang violence, Human Rights Watch and Cristosal said in a joint report released […]
Martyrs of El Calabozo: They are in our memory
by alejandra sandoval What has come to be known as the “El Calabozo” massacre took place on August 21 and 22, 1982 in the Amatitán Abajo canton of San Esteban Catarina, San Vicente. More than 200 civilians were killed by the Atlacatl Battalion of the Salvadoran Armed Forces. This area of San Vicente was considered […]
El Salvador: Evidence of Serious Abuse in State of Emergency
By alejandra sandoval Arbitrary Arrests, Short-Term Disappearances, Deaths in Custody (San Salvador) – There is mounting evidence that El Salvadoran authorities have been committing serious human rights violations since adopting a state of emergency on March 27, 2022, Human Rights Watch and Cristosal said today. The organizations, which are jointly monitoring the state of emergency, have received credible allegations […]
Organizations are calling for comprehensive security policies that do not violate human rights
By alejandra sandoval In the context of the increase in homicidal violence by gangs and the Bukele administration’s response, national and international human rights organizations urge the State of El Salvador to implement comprehensive citizen security policies with a focus on human rights, gender, and intersectionality, as well as clear mechanisms for citizen participation and […]
Context of Declaration of a State of Exception in El Salvador
by alejandra sandoval On Saturday evening March 26th, President Nayib Bukele tweeted his request that the legislative assembly declare a state of exception in response to the horrific number of murders over the weekend. Early Sunday morning, the legislature, controlled by Bukele’s Nuevas Ideas party declared the state of exception suspending constitutional guarantees of freedom of assembly […]
