El Salvador's government, under President Nayib Bukele, is reportedly using emergency laws, originally intended for gang violence, to evict poor farming communities from land granted during the civil war. The recent eviction notice to El Bosque cooperative led to protests and arrests, raising concerns about human rights and the shrinking space for civil society, especially with new laws taxing foreign NGO donations.
‘They are pushing us out’: how El Salvador turned to gang violence laws to seize land from the poor
Global developmentLand rightsEl SalvadorProtestAmericas
AI Summary
TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️El Salvador's government, under President Nayib Bukele, is reportedly using emergency laws, originally intended for gang violence, to evict poor farming communities from land granted during the civil war. The recent eviction notice to El Bosque cooperative led to protests and arrests, raising concerns about human rights and the shrinking space for civil society, especially with new laws taxing foreign NGO donations.
Trending- 1 1980: Civil war begins, leading to land redistribution to peasants.
- 2 March 2022: El Salvador's 'state of exception' begins, extended over 38 times.
- 3 Early May: El Bosque cooperative receives eviction notice.
- 4 Early May: Community members organize peaceful sit-in near Bukele's residence, leading to 5 detentions.
- 5 Early May: José Ángel Pérez and Alejandro Henríquez formally charged with public disorder under state of exception.
- 6 May 20: Legislative assembly passes the foreign agents law.
- Community leaders and lawyers are being detained and charged under emergency laws for peaceful protest.
- NGOs receiving international funds face a new 30% tax and stricter regulations, potentially weakening civil society.
- Thousands of families (approx. 11,000) are in extreme vulnerability due to land disputes and evictions.
- Environmental assessments are rare, and local people are often excluded from consultations for development projects.
- The legal system is becoming a tool for land redistribution and centralization.
What: El Salvador's government is using its "state of exception" (emergency laws against gang violence) to seize land from poor farming cooperatives, leading to evictions, protests, and arrests of community leaders and activists. New laws are also targeting NGOs receiving foreign funding.
When: Early May (eviction notice to El Bosque), May 20 (legislative assembly passed foreign agents law). Civil war started in 1980. State of exception extended over 38 times since March 2022.
Where: El Salvador, specifically El Bosque cooperative in Santa Tecla, a coastal cooperative near the airport megaproject, Punta Mango village.
Why: The government's actions are driven by "megaprojects, extractivism, real estate and tourism developments, and agribusiness" which are creating a new wave of dispossession. The government claims protesters are manipulated by "leftist groups and globalist NGOs" and that new laws enhance transparency and national sovereignty. Critics argue it's to suppress dissent and weaken civil society.
How: The government uses the "state of exception" to justify arrests and charges (public disorder, aggressive resistance) against protesters, even in non-gang-related cases. They passed the foreign agents law to tax and regulate NGOs. Police checkpoints and riot police are used to control protests.