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Tell the State Department and Congress:
Call for the immediate release of leaders of the National Alliance for a Peaceful El Salvador whose lives are in danger!

Para version en español, haga clic aqui.

On the night of May 30 and the morning of May 31, 2024, police in El Salvador arrested ten leaders of the prominent grassroots opposition group Alianza Nacional El Salvador en Paz (National Alliance for a Peaceful El Salvador), including two historic FMLN leaders: coordinator of the national Association of War Veterans of the FMLN, José Santos Melara, known as Pepe, and Atilio Montalvo, a signer of the 1992 Peace Accords.

They were arrested without warrants and interrogated under false premises.

Police also arrested Luis Menjivar, a community journalist, after he covered a press conference about the arrests.

The Alliance has been one of the major grassroots coalitions defending democracy in El Salvador in the face of President Bukele’s attacks on the 1992 Peace Accords.

The high-profile arrests - on the eve of Bukele’s inauguration on June 1 for an unconstitutional second term - constitute a flagrant attempt to intimidate and stifle the Salvadoran people from exercising their right to freedom of expression.

The lives of those detained are at high risk given routine denial of essential medical care to people held in inhumane conditions in the horrifically overcrowded prison system. Nearly all are elders and have chronic health conditions. Both Atilio and Pepe are in very delicate health - prior to his detention, Atilio had undergone heart surgery and needs routine dialysis. Pepe is experiencing diabetes related complications.

After six months of unjust detention, the Attorney General's office successfully petitioned in December 2024 to keep them in detention for another six months.

Please contact the U.S. State Department and Members of Congress NOW to urge them to call for their immediate release and oppose the criminalization of peaceful protesters.

The popular social movement in El Salvador needs us to join their struggle. One thing we can do is demand that Members of Congress use their platforms to speak out now, before it’s too late!

Despite their demonstrations of support for the Bukele regime, the Biden State Department also pledged to protect civil society. Now is the time to hold them to that!

If you are outside of the U.S. and would like to take action, demand their release on social media using these hashtags #LibertadAPresosPoliticosSV #LibertadVeteranosSV #AltoAlaRepresionSV

Tweet de example: "#LibertadYa para los presos politicos de la Alianza Nacional El Salvador en Paz! @pncsv @fgr_sv @penalesSV #LibertadAPresosPoliticosSV #LibertadVeteranosSV #AltoAlaRepresionSV

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Release democratic opposition leaders in El Salvador!

Your Representative

Subject: Call for release of jailed grassroots leaders in El Salvador

Message:

I am writing to urge you to speak out against the unjust arrest of members of the grassroots, democratic opposition in El Salvador. In December 2024, the Attorney General's office successfully petitioned to keep leaders of the National Alliance for a Peaceful El Salvador in pretrial detention for another six months despite severe risks to their health. International pressure is urgent to help save their lives. On the night of May 30 and the morning of May 31, police arrested ten leaders of the Alianza Nacional El Salvador en Paz (National Alliance for a Peaceful El Salvador), one of the principal grassroots organizations defending democracy in El Salvador in the face of President Bukele’s attacks on the separation of powers, the Constitution, and the 1992 Peace Accords. It is urgent that U.S. political leaders call for their immediate release given that their lives are at risk in El Salvador’s inhumane, overcrowded prison system. The prisoners are all older, all with diabetes and some with other serious health conditions. Atilio Montalvo is in such delicate health, having undergone heart surgery soon before the arrests and needing routine dialysis, that he has already been transferred to a medical unit. News reports indicate that Jose Santos Melara's health has also deteriorated. Moving forward, the international community should also insist on their right to due process, to defense, to presumption of innocence, and to a fair and impartial trial. It's no coincidence that their arrests occurred on the eve of Nayib Bukele’s inauguration on June 1 for an unconstitutional second term, constituting a flagrant attempt to intimidate and stifle the population from exercising their right to freedom of expression. Over 83,000 people in El Salvador have been arrested without warrants in the past two years since basic rights have been suspended; human rights experts estimate that tens of thousands of them have no ties to crime. Human rights organization Cristosal has documented the deaths of at least 265 people have died in prison, many showing signs of torture. Now Bukele is going after groups and individuals, like the leaders detained in the lead up to his inauguration, who dare speak out against these atrocities! It is urgent that Congress speak up against these politically motivated arrests and other repressive tactics. Will you make a statement calling for the immediate release of Jose Santos Melara, Atilio Montalvo and the other Alliance leaders and urge the State Department to do the same?

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Your Senators

Subject: Help needed to free democratic opposition leaders arrested in El Salvador

Message:

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El Salvador Desk Office

Subject: Call for release of democratic opposition leaders jailed in El Salvador

Message:

I am writing to urge you to call for the immediate release of eight members of the Alianza Nacional El Salvador en Paz (National Alliance for a Peaceful El Salvador) who were arrested on May 30 and May 31; a community journalist, Luis Menjivar, was subsequently arrested on him way home from a press conference last week regarding the arrests. It's no coincidence that the arrests occurred on the eve of Nayib Bukele’s inauguration on June 1 for an unconstitutional second term, constituting a flagrant attempt to intimidate and stifle the population from exercising their right to freedom of expression. Nearly six months have passed since the arrests, following interrogation under false pretenses. Despite serious risks to their health, the Attorney General's office recently petitioned to keep them in pretrial detention for another six months and attempts by defense attorneys to release them to house arrest have been denied. As you know, the Alianza was one of the principal grassroots organizations defending democracy in El Salvador in the face of President Bukele’s attacks on the separation of powers, the Constitution, and the 1992 Peace Accords. It is urgent that U.S. political leaders and others in the international community to call for their immediate release given that their lives are at risk in El Salvador’s inhumane, overcrowded prison system. The prisoners are all older, all with diabetes and some with other serious health conditions. Atilio Montalvo is in very delicate health, having undergone heart surgery just before the arrest and needing routine dialysis. News reports indicate that Jose Santos Melara's health has already deteriorated. Moving forward, I hope the State Department and the U.S. Embassy will insist on their right to due process, to defense, to presumption of innocence, and to a fair and impartial trial. The State Department's own reports make clear the widespread and systematic violations of human rights and international law occurring today in El Salvador. As you know, Bukele is going after groups and individuals, like the leaders detained in the lead up to his inauguration, who dare speak out against these atrocities. I urge you to take action to call for the immediate release of Jose Santos Melara, Atilio Montalvo and the other Alliance leaders.

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