Latest news with #Centroamérica
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Guatemala jails ex-paramilitaries for 40 years over rapes during civil war
A top Guatemalan court has sentenced three former paramilitaries to 40 years each in prison after they were found guilty of raping six Indigenous women between 1981 and 1983, one of the bloodiest periods of the Central American nation's civil war. The conviction and sentencing on Friday mark another significant step towards attaining justice for the Maya Achi Indigenous women, who were sexually abused by pro-government armed groups, during a period of extreme bloodshed between the military and left-wing rebels that left as many as 200,000 dead or missing. Former Civil Self-Defence Patrol members Pedro Sanchez, Simeon Enriquez and Felix Tum were found guilty of crimes against humanity for sexually assaulting six members of the Maya Achi group, Judge Maria Eugenia Castellanos said. 'The women recognised the perpetrators, they recognised the places where the events took place. They were victims of crimes against humanity,' she said, praising the women's bravery in coming to court to testify on repeated occasions. 'They are crimes of solitude that stigmatise the woman. It is not easy to speak of them,' the judge said. Indigenous lawyer Haydee Valey, who represented the women, said the sentence was 'historic' because it finally recognised the struggle of civil war survivors who had demanded justice for decades. Several Maya Achi women in the courtroom applauded at the end of the trial, where some dressed in traditional attire and others listened to the verdict through an interpreter. One of the victims, a 62-year-old woman, told the AFP news agency she was 'very happy' with the verdict. Pedro Sanchez, one of the three men convicted, told the court before the sentencing, 'I am innocent of what they are accusing me of.' But Judge Marling Mayela Gonzalez Arrivillaga, another member of the all-women, three-panel court, said there was no doubt about the women's testimony against the suspects. The convictions were second in the Maya Achi women's case against former military personnel and paramilitaries. The first trial, which took place in January 2022, saw five former paramilitaries sentenced to 30 years in prison. Advocacy group Impunity Watch said the case 'highlights how the Guatemalan army used sexual violence as a weapon of war against Indigenous women' during the civil conflict. In 2016, a Guatemalan court sentenced two former military officers for holding 15 women from the Q'eqchi community, who are also of Maya origin, as sex slaves. Both officers were sentenced to a combined 360 years in prison.
Associated Press
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Mother of arrested Salvadoran lawyer says daughter is innocent and calls for her release
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — The mother of a human rights lawyer arrested in El Salvador said Tuesday she was able to see and speak with her daughter more than 24 hours after her arrest and declared her daughter's innocence in what critics say was government retaliation for her work. Eleonora Alfaro spoke after visiting Ruth Eleonora López, the head of the anti-corruption team at nongovernmental organization Cristosal. Police arrested López Sunday night alleging she participated in the embezzlement of funds when she held a government position earlier in her career. Cristosal has been one of the most outspoken critics of some of President Nayib Bukele's policies, especially the ongoing three-year state of emergency. 'My daughter is completely innocent, she has nothing to do with it,' Alfaro said. 'She knows where this comes from and I do too.' She called on Bukele to order her daughter's release. 'He has ordered my daughter's arrest, because she has at times expressed criticism in favor of the people in and in favor of all Salvadoran society,' she said. Alfaro added that police treated her respectfully when she visited and that her daughter was in good health. Bukele's office has not commented on the arrest. The alleged wrongdoing dates to her time as an adviser to Eugenio Chicas, the former president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal during the administration of President Salvador Sánchez Cerén (2014-2019). Chicas moved from the court to the Cabinet of Sánchez Cerén and also served as a congressman. Last November, he and some of his relatives were convicted in a civil case for illegal enrichment between 2009 and 2021. Chicas, who was detained in February, is now being prosecuted on criminal charges of illegal enrichment. The Attorney General's Office alleged that López had been involved in Chicas' embezzlement. Cristosal President Noah Bullock said Tuesday that López's arrest was an 'attack against the entire human rights movement.' ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
CNN
19-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
El Salvador arrests human rights lawyer critical of President Bukele
Authorities in El Salvador have arrested a prominent attorney critical of President Nayib Bukele, in a move criticized by rights groups who say it reflects an increasing trend of 'authoritarianism' in the country. Ruth Eleonora López, the head of the Anti-Corruption and Justice Unit of the rights organization Cristosal, is accused of collaborating in the 'theft of funds from state coffers,' the Attorney General's Office of El Salvador said. 'According to the investigations and information gathered during the raids carried out … her active participation in the acts of which she is accused has been identified,' the Attorney General's Office said. CNN has requested more information from the prosecutor's office. Speaking at a press conference alongside the leaders of Cristobal on Monday, López's mother and husband said the arrest was part of a recurring pattern in which activists are detained, denied contact with their families, and their whereabouts concealed. They alleged that authorities appeared at her home 'under false pretenses,' claiming there had been a traffic accident to lure her outside. She was then detained and not allowed to see a warrant, they said. They added they still do not know the formal charges beyond what the Attorney General's Office posted on X. 'This sends a message that the government is willing to repress, to violate human rights – and at this point, it's barely trying to hide it. It's practically admitting it,' said Abraham Ábrego, director of Strategic Litigation at Cristosal. The organization labeled the move as a 'short-term forced disappearance,' as it does not know where López, a lawyer and university professor, is being held. It has asked authorities to allow López's lawyer to meet with her. López has led criticism of the Bukele government's lack of transparency, denouncing abuses allegedly committed by the state during an ongoing state of emergency to crack down on crime, as well as the increase in public debt without detailing its investment or the use of public funds to purchase Bitcoin. She has also criticized the government's decision to endorse mining, among other things. López, who in 2024 was recognized by the BBC on a list of 100 influential and inspiring women, was previously an adviser to the former president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Eugenio Chicas, between 2009 and 2014. Chicas faces criminal proceedings after being arrested last February for alleged illicit enrichment to the detriment of public administration, a crime to which he has pleaded not guilty. CNN is seeking comment from Chicas and his lawyer regarding these accusations. Since taking office in 2019, Bukele has enacted controversial measures to stem the crime and gang violence that has plagued the country for years. In 2022, with the support of lawmakers, he declared a state of emergency which allowed the government to temporarily suspend constitutional rights, including the right to legal defense provided by the state. The measure was intended to last 30 days but has been extended dozens of times and continues to this day. In the three years since it was declared, security forces have arrested nearly 87,000 people nationwide, or more than 1% of the Salvadoran population, according to authorities. The government insists the crackdown has made the country safer, but critics say it has violated people's rights and resulted in countless wrongful detentions. International groups including Amnesty International condemned López's arrest in a joint statement on Monday, saying that the state of emergency in El Salvador 'has not only been used to address gang-related violence but also as a tool to silence critical voices.' CNN has reached out to the presidency for comment.
CNN
19-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
El Salvador arrests human rights lawyer critical of President Bukele
Authorities in El Salvador have arrested a prominent attorney critical of President Nayib Bukele, in a move criticized by rights groups who say it reflects an increasing trend of 'authoritarianism' in the country. Ruth Eleonora López, the head of the Anti-Corruption and Justice Unit of the rights organization Cristosal, is accused of collaborating in the 'theft of funds from state coffers,' the Attorney General's Office of El Salvador said. 'According to the investigations and information gathered during the raids carried out … her active participation in the acts of which she is accused has been identified,' the Attorney General's Office said. CNN has requested more information from the prosecutor's office. Speaking at a press conference alongside the leaders of Cristobal on Monday, López's mother and husband said the arrest was part of a recurring pattern in which activists are detained, denied contact with their families, and their whereabouts concealed. They alleged that authorities appeared at her home 'under false pretenses,' claiming there had been a traffic accident to lure her outside. She was then detained and not allowed to see a warrant, they said. They added they still do not know the formal charges beyond what the Attorney General's Office posted on X. 'This sends a message that the government is willing to repress, to violate human rights – and at this point, it's barely trying to hide it. It's practically admitting it,' said Abraham Ábrego, director of Strategic Litigation at Cristosal. The organization labeled the move as a 'short-term forced disappearance,' as it does not know where López, a lawyer and university professor, is being held. It has asked authorities to allow López's lawyer to meet with her. López has led criticism of the Bukele government's lack of transparency, denouncing abuses allegedly committed by the state during an ongoing state of emergency to crack down on crime, as well as the increase in public debt without detailing its investment or the use of public funds to purchase Bitcoin. She has also criticized the government's decision to endorse mining, among other things. López, who in 2024 was recognized by the BBC on a list of 100 influential and inspiring women, was previously an adviser to the former president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Eugenio Chicas, between 2009 and 2014. Chicas faces criminal proceedings after being arrested last February for alleged illicit enrichment to the detriment of public administration, a crime to which he has pleaded not guilty. CNN is seeking comment from Chicas and his lawyer regarding these accusations. Since taking office in 2019, Bukele has enacted controversial measures to stem the crime and gang violence that has plagued the country for years. In 2022, with the support of lawmakers, he declared a state of emergency which allowed the government to temporarily suspend constitutional rights, including the right to legal defense provided by the state. The measure was intended to last 30 days but has been extended dozens of times and continues to this day. In the three years since it was declared, security forces have arrested nearly 87,000 people nationwide, or more than 1% of the Salvadoran population, according to authorities. The government insists the crackdown has made the country safer, but critics say it has violated people's rights and resulted in countless wrongful detentions. International groups including Amnesty International condemned López's arrest in a joint statement on Monday, saying that the state of emergency in El Salvador 'has not only been used to address gang-related violence but also as a tool to silence critical voices.' CNN has reached out to the presidency for comment.
New York Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Prominent Anti-Corruption Lawyer Is Arrested in El Salvador
A prominent Salvadoran lawyer known for publicly accusing President Nayib Bukele's government of corruption and malfeasance was detained by the authorities on Sunday night, according to the lawyer's employer, a human rights organization. Ruth López, who leads the organization's anti-corruption and justice unit, had not been formally charged as of Monday and her location was unknown, according to a statement from the group. The arrest was confirmed by the country's attorney general's office, which in an online post said the 'administrative detention' of Ms. López was linked to her previous work as the 'right hand' of a magistrate and former government official, Eugenio Chicas. Mr. Chicas, a former president of El Salvador's supreme electoral tribunal who also served as a press secretary to former President Salvador Sánchez Cerén, was arrested in February on charges of illicit enrichment. 'Ruth López collaborated in the theft of funds from state coffers,' the attorney general's office said in its post. Ms. López's arrest prompted immediate outcry within and outside El Salvador from human rights groups and experts. They said that Mr. Bukele, emboldened by his relationship with President Trump since agreeing to imprison migrants deported from the United States, had stepped up attacks on his critics. 'For years, Ruth López has courageously exposed corruption and human rights violations in El Salvador,' Juanita Goebertus, the Americas director for Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. 'Her arrest is not an isolated incident — it marks a dangerous escalation in President Bukele's effort to silence dissent.' Since 2022, Mr. Bukele has kept in place a state of emergency that allows authorities to carry out arrests at will, sidestepping due process. Initially imposed to crack down on gang violence, the state of emergency has led to a dramatic reduction in crime but has also resulted at least 80,000 people being detained and placed in El Salvador's notorious prison system. Ms. López's organization, Cristosal, has emerged as a major force in exposing abuses in the prison system and beyond. The group has repeatedly accused the Bukele administration of holding people in pretrial detention without access to lawyers or their families, in a condition that the group's director, Noah Bullock, has said amounts to forced disappearance. Cristosal said that Ms. López had now fallen victim to that crime, which it described as 'a serious human rights violation under international law.' Ms. López has been at the forefront of investigations into potential corruption or negligence by the Bukele government. One inquiry is related to the misuse of pandemic funds and another is tied to the contamination of the local water supply caused by the construction of the country's mega prison known as CECOT. Another denounced the use of public funds to pay for Pegasus software used to spy on journalists and human rights groups in El Salvador. 'The link with Chicas in Ruth's case is fabricated — a dubious pretext to imprison her arbitrarily,' said Napoleón Campos, a Salvadoran political analyst. Mr. Campos said the arrest should instead be viewed in the context of 'human rights abuses, the harassment of environmental defenders and the broader attack by the Bukele regime on civil society.' This month, several journalists with the Salvadoran independent investigative news outlet El Faro fled El Salvador after learning that the government was preparing warrants for their arrests. The outlet said such a move would amount to 'the most frontal state assault on press freedom in El Salvador since Bukele came to office in 2019.' El Faro has for years investigated the Bukele administration and its supposed negotiations with the country's gang leaders and has said its journalists were placed under surveillance and intimidated as a result. A spokeswoman for the presidency, Wendy Ramos, did not respond questions about what grounds the government had for seeking the arrest of Ms. López or the El Faro journalists. The Salvadoran government has consistently dismissed critiques of Mr. Bukele and his security policies as efforts by members of the political opposition to tarnish the president. Mr. Bukele's approval ratings have consistently remained above 80 percent in public opinion surveys. Mr. Bullock, Cristosal's director, has cast doubt on the high ratings, saying that in the face of mass arrests, the Salvadoran public has grown fearful of expressing discontent with the president and his iron-fisted approach.
