El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. The US-backed civil war, which erupted after the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero in 1980, lasted 12 years (1980-92), killing 70,000 people and forcing 20% of the nation’s five million people to seek refuge in the US.
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International Allies Against Metallic Mining in El Salvador invites us into dialogue with veteran members of the anti-mining movement and academics, with the aim of reflecting on the current state of mining in El Salvador and the key challenges for social movements working in defense of water and the environment.
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In honor of the prophetic voice of Oscar Romero—silenced 46 years ago but still speaking truth to power through the resistance movements in El Salvador—we invite you to take part in the following:
A. National Call-In Days to Congress
Our asks to US senators and US representatives are: (1) halt the Trump nominee for ambassador to El Salvador; (2) investigate the Salvadorans who were disappeared into the CECOT prison in March 2025, (3) suspend security assistance to El Salvador in light of well-documented human rights abuses, including possible crimes against humanity.
B. Social Media Days of Action for Political Prisoners
Draw attention to: (1) the dangers that arbitrary arrest and prolonged detention without trial pose to Salvadorans in the US at risk of being deported to El Salvador; (2) the need for solidarity with human rights defender Fidel Zavala and members of the La Floresta environmental defenders; (3) the launch of a new online photo gallery to honor some of the over 400 people who have died in prison since the start of the State of Exception; (4) the call for documentation through interviews with families of those deported to El Salvador since March 2022 about their experiences since being forcibly returned. See tinyurl.com/4bsut3ss or call Professor Sarah Bishop at CUNY: (646) 504-6340.
C. Solidarity with people’s resistance to harmful metallic mining in El Salvador. Click here to register for the webinar on Monday, March 30.
D. Other ways to take action: (1) resources for learning more about the state of exception: (2) post cards to El Salvador’s political prisoners and other victims of the State of Exception; (3) follow social media handles: Bloque de Resistencia y Rebeldia Popular (IG: @bloquepopular, X: @Bloque_RP, Facebook); Movemiento de Víctimas del Regimen (MOVIR) (Facebook)
To commemorate the martyrdom of St Oscar Romero of El Salvador (who was assassinated on March 24 1980), Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso invited Catholics and “all people of conscience and goodwill” to join him for a prayer gathering and march for an end to mass detention.
In a letter he ordered to be read in all Catholic parishes in his diocese on March 15, Bishop Seitz called mass detention and mass deportation a “grave moral evil.” He urged Catholics in El Paso who work for ICE and Border Patrol to obey God’s law over Trump’s.
His words are reminiscent of Archbishop Romero. In the final Sunday homily (sermon) he gave on March 23, 1980, Romero implored his fellow Salvadorans: “No soldier is obliged to obey an order against the law of God… No one has to observe an immoral law.I would like to make an appeal especially to the men of the army, and concretely to the National Guard, the police, and the troops. Brothers, you are of part of our own people. You are killing your own brother and sister campesinos, and against any order a man may give to kill, God’s law must prevail: «You shall not kill!»
As we remember Oscar Romero’s dedication to the Gospel of love and nonviolence on this 46th anniversary of his assassination, may God give us the courage to speak prophetically and act boldly to end the militarized repression we are experiencing in the US today.
How families resist to the erosion of due process and violations of human rights during four years of El Salvador's State of Exception and escalated attacks on migrants in the United States.
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This article exposes how El Salvador’s so‑called “security model,” praised internationally for reducing crime, is actually built on widespread human rights abuses
This article prents a report by a group of international jurists, reviewing Bukeles governmnet and contradictions between domestic popularity in El Salvador and how international organizations judgement of the government.
another notable article about El Salvador mass arrests: click
This article examines a Cristosal report, elaborately describing the unjust pre-trial detention and mistreatment of detainees.
This article published in The Guaradian talks about the excruciating reality of criminalization faced by Salvadoran women who face obstetric emergencies.
In March 2022, President Nayib Bukele – a populist who described himself as the “world’s coolest dictator” – assumed emergency powers and suspended civil rights in a move known as the “state of exception”. Framed as a temporary response to combat rampant gang violence, the crackdown has had far-reaching consequences for human rights and the justice system. Due process has been suspended, and about one in 50 adults imprisoned.
Advocates say those emergency powers have quietly expanded into hospitals, ensnaring women who suffer miscarriages, stillbirths and other obstetric emergencies. There is a new spiral of criminalization against women.
Support a historic shift in U.S. foreign policy. House Resolution 1056 calls for ending the Monroe Doctrine and building a “New Good Neighbor” relationship with Latin America and the Caribbean. Urge your US representative to co-sponsor this landmark resolution acknowledging two centuries of intervention and injustice.
A new Salvadoran film about the 1981 El Mozote massacre premiered with government backing, sparking controversy for downplaying state responsibility while promoting the country’s security image. At the same time, survivors won a historic step toward justice as the long-stalled massacre case advanced toward trial after decades of impunity.
