{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"One Year Later: The Political Imprisonment of Ruth L\u00f3pez in El Salvador","description":" A year after the arrest of Salvadoran human rights lawyer and anti-corruption advocate Ruth Eleonora L\u00f3pez Alfaro, WOLA\u2019s Latin America Today podcast revisits her case and the broader situation unfolding in El Salvador. Ruth L\u00f3pez, who worked with the human rights organization Cristosal, was arrested on May 18, 2025, when police entered her home late at night. Since then, she has been held in detention under conditions that rights groups say reflect the growing erosion of due process and civil liberties under President Nayib Bukele\u2019s government. In this episode, WOLA\u2019s Corie Welch speaks with Luis Benavides, Ruth L\u00f3pez\u2019s husband, and Noah Bullock, Executive Director of Cristosal, about Ruth\u2019s detention, the climate of fear in El Salvador, and the increasing use of political imprisonment against critics and human rights defenders. Luis recounts the night Ruth was arrested and the uncertainty that followed as authorities moved her between detention facilities while withholding information from her family and legal team. Noah discusses how Cristosal\u2019s investigations into corruption and human rights abuses made the organization \u2014 and Ruth herself \u2014 targets of the government\u2019s escalating repression. The conversation also examines El Salvador\u2019s prolonged state of exception, which has led to the mass incarceration of 90,000 people since 2022. While the government has framed the emergency measures as necessary to combat gang violence, rights organizations have documented widespread abuses, including arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances, and severe restrictions on due process. Together, they reflect on what Ruth\u2019s case reveals about political imprisonment in El Salvador, the growing risks facing journalists and civil society organizations, and the importance of international solidarity. Guests Luis Benavides is the husband of Ruth L\u00f3pez and has become a public advocate for her release and right to a fair and public trial. Noah Bullock is the Executive Director of Cristosal, a leading human rights organization that was forced to relocate operations from El Salvador to Guatemala amid increasing repression. Additional Resources Read more about WOLA\u2019s work on El Salvador Learn more about Cristosal\u2019s documentation of human rights abuses ","author_name":"Latin America Today","author_url":"http:\/\/www.wola.org\/podcast\/","html":"