My Wife Disappeared Into El Salvador’s Prison System. When Will She Come Home?

A year has passed since my wife, Ruth López, disappeared into one of El Salvador’s notorious prisons. She is a lawyer who led the Anti-Corruption and Justice Unit at Cristosal, a Central American human rights organization. Her investigations into alleged corruption, such as the misuse of pandemic funds and fraud related to Bitcoin becoming legal tender in El Salvador, were always thorough, legal, and public.

Ruth’s prominence in El Salvador and international recognition, such as being named one of the world’s 100 most influential women by the BBC two years ago, should have offered her protection. Instead, it likely led to her arrest in May 2025 on dubious charges, which she has yet to defend herself against.

In the U.S., knowledge of El Salvador might extend to President Nayib Bukele, known as a young authoritarian leader. Last year, he collaborated with President Trump to detain Venezuelan migrants at the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT. Bukele’s crackdown on gangs has reportedly made the streets safer, which most Salvadorans support.

However, Americans need to understand the cost of Bukele’s crackdown. The government uses it to quell dissent. Since declaring a state of emergency over four years ago, some 90,000 people have been detained in mass raids, nearly 2 percent of the adult population in El Salvador. The majority of detainees have not seen their families or had legal counsel. Many languish in prison without trial, leaving families uncertain of their well-being.

The mass raids capture both innocent and guilty individuals. Without due process and passive court systems, innocent people stand little chance of a fair trial. Instead, the government processes cases en masse, attempting to try hundreds of prisoners simultaneously. Prisons hand down indefinite sentences. In April, the authorities allowed life sentences for children as young as 12.