With Trump as ally, Bukele ramps up crackdown on dissent

SAN SALVADOR (AP):

Days before his arrest outside his daughter’s house in the outskirts of San Salvador, constitutional lawyer Enrique Anaya called Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele a “dictator” and a “despot” on live TV.

This week, lawyer Jaime Quintanilla stood outside a detention facility in El Salvador’s capital with a box of food and clothes for his client, unsure if Anaya would ever be released.

The Saturday arrest of Anaya, a fierce critic of Bukele, marks the latest move in what watchdogs describe as a wave of crackdown on dissent by the Central American leader. They say Bukele is emboldened by his alliance with US President Donald Trump, who has not only praised him but avoided criticising actions human rights defenders, international authorities and legal experts deem authoritarian.

Authorities in El Salvador have targeted outspoken lawyers like Anaya, journalists investigating Bukele’s alleged deals with gangs and human rights defenders calling for the end of a three-year state of emergency, which has suspended fundamental civil rights. Some say they have been forced to flee the country.

“They’re trying to silence anyone who voices an opinion – professionals, ideologues, anyone who is critical – now they’re jailed.” Quintanilla said. “It’s a vendetta.”

Bukele’s office did not respond to a request for comment.