Salvadoran anti-corruption lawyer jailed to 'silence her', husband says

Lopez, 48, who headed the anti-corruption unit at the NGO Cristosal, was arrested in her pajamas on May 18, 2025, accused by the Bukele-allied Attorney General's Office of illicit enrichment during her time working at the electoral tribunal a decade ago.

"Have some decency. This will end one day," Lopez said after being arrested, in cell phone video that went viral at the time.

Her case has been declared sealed. Her family has not seen Lopez since July 3, when she was ordered into pretrial detention.

A close ally of US President Donald Trump, Bukele calls himself the "world's coolest dictator" and rules under a state of emergency that has seen crime rates plummet, but has prompted wide-ranging claims of rights abuses.

Last week, Cristosal released a report that Bukele's government is holding dozens of political prisoners, including Lopez.

Benavides, also a lawyer, spoke with AFP on Sunday, before delivering medicine for Lopez at the Izalco prison farm, 60 kilometers from San Salvador. The interview has been edited for brevity.

QUESTION: What stage is the process at?

ANSWER: In the investigation phase, gathering evidence. Even the lawyers sometimes have trouble finding out about the progress. The judge overseeing the probe should decide if the evidence gathered is sufficient to go to trial. It is very likely that they will uphold her pretrial detention. We are in a backwards system. There is no presumption of innocence. And one has to prove that one is not guilty.

Q: Why was she arrested?

A: Because the authorities didn't like the free expression she exercised...She had a very strong and credible voice. She has been extremely active in denouncing corruption, illegalities, arbitrary actions by the authorities, and human rights violations. Her illegal detention was the only alternative left for the government to stop her from continuing to make accusations. Ruth's voice is so uncomfortable that it's the only way they can silence her.

Q: How do the precautionary measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights help?

A: They serve as pressure for the State to guarantee her certain minimum conditions, for example, regarding her health. She has high blood pressure, and I'm going to give her medication regularly.

Q: How do you think she's coping with prison?

A: Ruth is very strong. I think she must be doing well emotionally, of course, considering the circumstances. But she's a woman who seeks purpose, and she's surely found it even in there. The last time we saw her, she was giving us strength. Not the other way around, that's how strong she is.

Q: Do you have hope of seeing her free soon?

A: I'm a very religious man. I haven't lost hope in God. Now, realistically, a quick release does seem really difficult. It's truly an uphill battle.

Q: What does Ruth Lopez mean for El Salvador?

A: Ruth symbolizes what she herself expressed: decency. I think she symbolizes resilience, honesty, dignity. Things we lose with the polarization in our society. They arrested her because she represents the voice of those who were afraid to raise theirs. Decency means being humble enough to acknowledge your own imperfections. These people don't even want to accept that. They think they're infallible.