Ruth López: A Lawyer Who Faced El Salvador’s Hidden Justice System

Ruth López was a lawyer who ran the Anti‑Corruption and Justice Unit at Cristosal, a human rights group in Central America. She investigated how the government misused pandemic money and how it used Bitcoin as legal tender, always following the law. Her work was known both in El Salvador and abroad. Two years ago, the BBC named her one of the world’s most influential women, a title that seemed to give her protection. Instead, that fame may have made her a target. In May 2025 she was arrested on false charges and has not yet had the chance to defend herself. El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, is a controversial figure in the United States. He has worked with former U. S. President Trump to detain Venezuelan migrants at a prison called CECOT, and he has promised safer streets through a tough crackdown on gangs.

But that policy also allows the state to silence critics. Since declaring a state of emergency, about 90, 000 people have been taken in mass raids. That number is roughly two percent of the adult population, and many detainees have no family visits or legal help. Some have spent years in prison without a trial, and their families do not know if they are alive. The raids catch both guilty and innocent people because there is no fair process. Courts are slow or unwilling to separate the two groups, so many cases go through a mass system. Prison sentences are often indefinite, and in April the president signed laws that allow children as young as 12 to receive life sentences. These rules show how the state can use law and order to suppress opposition. The story of Ruth López highlights the hidden cost of El Salvador’s justice system and reminds us that powerful leaders can use legal tools to silence dissent.

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