Latest news with #NoahBullock
CNN
6 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Human rights group leaves El Salvador amid crackdown on dissent
A prominent human rights group critical of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has suspended operations in the country, citing the government's harassment, repression and persecution of human rights defenders. Cristosal Executive Director Noah Bullock said the group would continue to operate from Guatemala and Honduras, and that the Salvadoran government's actions have made it difficult to continue their work. 'We are forced to choose between prison or exile,' Bullock said at a press conference in Guatemala City on Thursday. CNN has reached out to the Salvadoran presidency for comment on Bullock's remarks. Bukele has been carrying out an iron-fisted crackdown on crime, which has expanded to civil society groups and journalists. The government has defended its actions, pointing to significant reductions in gang violence nationwide, but opponents say it has come at the cost of mass incarceration and the erosion of civil liberties. Cristosal's announcement comes almost two months after one of its members, lawyer and human rights activist Ruth Eleonora López, was detained by Salvadoran authorities on allegations of illicit enrichment. López has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has requested a public trial. The group's leaders believe her detention is not an isolated case, but a turning point for them as an organization. 'With the threats we have received, with Ruth's criminalization and with the limited possibilities of security guarantees, we are more useful (to the cause) by being outside but free, than by risking imprisonment in El Salvador,' Bullock said Thursday 'Currently, El Salvador does not offer the conditions to continue this work in person,' added Abraham Ábrego, Cristosal's litigation director. Cristosal has operated in El Salvador for 25 years. During Bukele's administration, it has conducted various investigations and condemned what it considers a lack of transparency, accountability, deterioration of democracy and human rights violations. Meanwhile, the government has accused organizations like Cristosal of being political activists and neglecting the rights of Salvadorans. Cristosal is the latest group to be pushed out of the country as part of the government's crackdown. The investigative outlet El Faro has been running most of its operations in exile from Costa Rica since 2023. Earlier this year, several of its journalists fled the country, anticipating arrest over their work. El Salvador's Foreign Agents Law has been another obstacle for Cristosal. The law imposes a 30% tax on transactions, disbursements, donations or in-kind imports received by non-governmental organizations whose activities in El Salvador are financed from abroad. The taxes collected, according to the law, will be used for projects of general or social interest. Rights groups have described the legislation as an existential threat. 'The intention is to apply the law discretionarily to silence, even criminalize, us and other human rights organizations,' Bullock said. 'The Foreign Agents Law allows authorities, at their discretion, to control any organization; it imposes a tax on organizations. Only the government will have the discretion to choose who to prosecute and who not to,' Ábrego added. The law gives NGOs until September 4 to register with the Ministry of the Interior. If they don't, they will be unable to operate and will face fines ranging from $100,000 to $250,000. Cristosal said it has already submitted its registration but has not yet received a response.
France 24
6 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
El Salvador rights group says forced out by Bukele 'repression'
The Cristosal group is a vocal critic of Bukele's controversial anti-crime policies and also provides assistance to families of migrants deported by the United States and imprisoned in El Salvador. It denounced "harassment," "espionage" and "defamation" by what it called a "dictatorship" being established in El Salvador under Bukele, an ally of US President Donald Trump. "Faced with increasing repression and the closure of democratic spaces in El Salvador, Cristosal is forced to suspend its operations in El Salvador," its director Noah Bullock told a news conference in Guatemala. He said that "a repressive apparatus that acts without limits" meant that "we are forced to choose between prison or exile." The withdrawal follows the arrest in May of the head of Cristosal's anti-corruption unit, Ruth Lopez, who is accused of illicit enrichment, a charge she denies. In recent months, several other Bukele critics have been arrested in El Salvador. Amnesty International this month declared Lopez a prisoner of conscience and called for her immediate release. The activist's arrest was "part of a systematic pattern of criminalization that seeks to silence those who denounce abuses or demand justice and transparency in public administration," Amnesty Secretary General Agnes Callamard said. A "foreign agents" law means that NGOs must pay a 30 percent tax on the funds they receive. Cristosal, whose main source of income is donations, called it "an instrument of authoritarian control." International rights groups reacted with alarm to Cristosal's exit. "The cost: less justice for victims, weaker oversight of abuses, and fewer spaces for dissent," Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, said on X. The Washington Office on Latin America advocacy organization expressed its support for Cristosal and other civil society groups "facing harassment and defamation campaigns under Bukele's government." Fears of imprisonment Cristosal, which had around 30 activists in El Salvador, said the country "is no longer a state governed by the rule of law." "When exercising freedoms or simply dissenting against power carries consequences, these are clear signs that a dictatorship has taken hold," Bullock said. While rights groups have criticized Bukele's methods, a dramatic drop in the homicide rate has made him popular at home. Cristosal helps families of Salvadorans caught up in Bukele's self-declared "war" on gangs, as well as more than 250 Venezuelans deported by Trump's administration, which paid El Salvador to hold them in a notorious high-security facility. Cristosal said in April that police officers had entered its headquarters to film and photograph the premises and vehicles of journalists invited to a press conference. The group, founded by Anglican bishops, said it would continue to operate from its offices in Guatemala and Honduras, after a quarter-century presence in El Salvador, to protect the safety of its members. Thousands of people have been detained under Bukele's state of emergency, often without court orders, the right to phone calls or even to see a lawyer. "Democratic institutions in El Salvador have disappeared and are under the control of Bukele's authoritarian regime," said Cristosal's head of litigation, Abraham Abrego. A survey released by Central American University last week showed that six out of 10 Salvadorans fear criticizing the president or his government, as it could lead to "negative consequences," such as arrest.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Top human rights group leaves El Salvador after threats made by country's president
El Salvador's top human rights organisation, Cristosal, announced on Thursday it is leaving the country because of mounting harassment and legal threats by the government of President Nayib Bukele. The organisation has been one of the most visible critics of Bukele, documenting abuses in the strongman's war on the country's gangs and the detention of hundreds of Venezuelan deportees in an agreement with the US president Donald Trump. Bukele's government has long targeted opponents, but Cristosal executive director, Noah Bullock, said things reached a tipping point in recent months as Bukele has grown empowered by his alliance with Trump. 'The clear targeting of our organisation has made us choose between exile or prison', Bullock said. 'The Bukele administration has unleashed a wave of repression over the past few months … There's been an exodus of civil society leaders, professionals and even businessmen.' El Salvador's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Cristosal has been working in El Salvador since 2000, when it was founded by Evangelical bishops in order to address human rights and democratic concerns after the country's brutal civil war. On Thursday, the human rights organisation announced that it packed up its offices and moved 20 employees to neighbouring Guatemala and Honduras. Cristosal quietly got staff and their families out before publicly announcing they were leaving out of fear they could be targeted by the Bukele government. The decision came after its top anti-corruption lawyer Ruth López was jailed in May on enrichment charges, which the organisation denies. Cristosal's legal team has supported hundreds of cases alleging the government arbitrarily detained innocent people in its crackdown on gangs, and has unlawfully detained Venezuelans deported from the US. López headed many of those investigations. In a court appearance in June, she appeared shackled and was escorted by police. 'They're not going to silence me, I want a public trial,' she said. 'I'm a political prisoner.' For years, the organisation said staff have been followed around by police officers, had their phones tapped by spyware like Pegasus, and been subject to legal attacks and defamation campaigns. But López's court appearance was the moment that Bullock said he knew they would have to leave the country. At the same time, the government has arrested more critics, while others have quietly fled the country. In late May, El Salvador's congress passed a 'foreign agents' law, championed by the populist president. It resembles legislation implemented by governments in Nicaragua, Venezuela, Russia, Belarus and China to silence and criminalise dissent by exerting pressure on organisations that rely on overseas funding. Bullock said the law would make it easier for the government to criminalise staff and cripple the organisation economically. Cristosal's flight from the country marks another blow to checks and balances in a country where Bukele has consolidated control of the government. Bullock said no longer being able to work in the country will make it significantly harder for the organisation to continue its ongoing legal work, particularly supporting those detained with little access to due process.
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
El Salvador's top human rights group flees President Bukele's ongoing crackdown on dissent
MEXICO CITY (AP) — El Salvador's top human rights organization, Cristosal, announced Thursday it is leaving the country because of mounting harassment and legal threats by the government of President Nayib Bukele. The organization has been one of the most visible critics of Bukele, documenting abuses in the strongman's war on the country's gangs and the detention of hundreds of Venezuelan deportees in an agreement with U.S. President Donald Trump. Bukele's government has long targeted opponents, but Cristosal Executive Director Noah Bullock said things reached a tipping point in recent months as Bukele has grown empowered by his alliance with Trump. 'The clear targeting of our organization has made us choose between exile or prison,' Bullock said in an interview with the Associated Press. 'The Bukele administration has unleashed a wave of repression over the past few months ... There's been an exodus of civil society leaders, professionals and even businessmen.' El Salvador 's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Cristosal has been working in El Salvador since 2000, when it was founded by Evangelical bishops in order to address human rights and democratic concerns following the country's brutal civil war. On Thursday, the human rights organization announced that it packed up its offices and moved 20 employees from the Central American nation to neighboring Guatemala and Honduras. Cristosal quietly got staff and their families out before publicly announcing they were leaving out of fear that they could be targeted by the Bukele government. The decision came after its top anti-corruption lawyer Ruth López was jailed in June on enrichment charges, which the organization denies. Cristosal's legal team has supported hundreds of cases alleging the government arbitrarily detained innocent people in its crackdown on gangs, and has unlawfully detained Venezuelans deported from the U.S. López headed many of those investigations. In a court appearance in June, she appeared shackled and escorted by police. 'They're not going to silence me, I want a public trial,' she shouted. 'I'm a political prisoner.' For years, the organization said staff have been followed around by police officers, had their phones tapped by spyware like Pegasus, and been subject to legal attacks and defamation campaigns. But López's court appearance was the moment that Bullock said he knew they would have to leave the country. At the same time, the government has arrested more critics, while others have quietly fled the country. In late May, El Salvador's Congress passed a 'foreign agents' law, championed by the populist president. It resembles legislation implemented by governments in Nicaragua, Venezuela, Russia, Belarus and China to silence and criminalize dissent by exerting pressure on organizations that rely on overseas funding. Bullock said the the law would make it easier for the government to criminalize staff and cripple the organization economically. Cristosal's flight from the country marks another blow to checks and balances in a country where Bukele has virtually consolidated control of the government. Bullock said no longer being able to work in the country will make it significantly harder for the organization to continue their ongoing legal work, particularly supporting those detained with little access to due process.
Al Arabiya
6 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
El Salvador's top human rights group flees president Bukele's ongoing crackdown on dissent
MEXICO CITY – El Salvador's top human rights organization, Cristosal, announced Thursday it is leaving the country because of mounting harassment and legal threats by the government of President Nayib Bukele. The organization has been one of the most visible critics of Bukele, documenting abuses in the strongman's war on the country's gangs and the detention of hundreds of Venezuelan deportees in an agreement with US President Donald Trump. Bukele's government has long targeted opponents, but Cristosal Executive Director Noah Bullock said things reached a tipping point in recent months as Bukele has grown empowered by his alliance with Trump. 'The clear targeting of our organization has made us choose between exile or prison,' Bullock said in an interview with the Associated Press. 'The Bukele administration has unleashed a wave of repression over the past few months… There's been an exodus of civil society leaders, professionals, and even businessmen.' El Salvador's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Cristosal has been working in El Salvador since 2000, when it was founded by Evangelical bishops in order to address human rights and democratic concerns following the country's brutal civil war. On Thursday, the human rights organization announced that it packed up its offices and moved 20 employees from the Central American nation to neighboring Guatemala and Honduras. Cristosal quietly got staff and their families out before publicly announcing they were leaving, out of fear that they could be targeted by the Bukele government. The decision came after its top anti-corruption lawyer, Ruth López, was jailed in June on enrichment charges, which the organization denies. Cristosal's legal team has supported hundreds of cases alleging the government arbitrarily detained innocent people in its crackdown on gangs and has unlawfully detained Venezuelans deported from the US. López headed many of those investigations. In a court appearance in June, she appeared shackled and escorted by police. 'They're not going to silence me; I want a public trial,' she shouted. 'I'm a political prisoner.' For years, the organization said staff have been followed around by police officers, had their phones tapped by spyware like Pegasus, and been subject to legal attacks and defamation campaigns. But López's court appearance was the moment that Bullock said he knew they would have to leave the country. At the same time, the government has arrested more critics while others have quietly fled the country. In late May, El Salvador's Congress passed a foreign agents law championed by the populist president. It resembles legislation implemented by governments in Nicaragua, Venezuela, Russia, Belarus, and China to silence and criminalize dissent by exerting pressure on organizations that rely on overseas funding. Bullock said the law would make it easier for the government to criminalize staff and cripple the organization economically. Cristosal's flight from the country marks another blow to checks and balances in a country where Bukele has virtually consolidated control of the government. Bullock said no longer being able to work in the country will make it significantly harder for the organization to continue their ongoing legal work, particularly supporting those detained with little access to due process.
