Human rights groups report that community leader José Ángel Pérez Godínez and environmental lawyer Alejandro Antonio Henríquez Flores have remained in detention since May 2025 following a peaceful protest against the planned eviction of families from the El Bosque community in Santa Tecla.
On 29 October 2025, the Santa Tecla Integrated Judicial Center upheld their pre-trial detention, despite extensive documentation presented by their defence. The protest on 12 May 2025 was reportedly peaceful until military police intervened with force, leading to Pérez’s arrest; Henríquez was detained the following day outside his office in San Salvador.
Both men are charged with “aggressive resistance” and “public disorder,” yet have been placed in maximum-security imprisonment at La Esperanza (Mariona), a facility known for overcrowding and reports of ill-treatment. Since their detention, they have reportedly suffered serious health issues without adequate medical care and have been held incommunicado, with no access to family, lawyers, or independent monitoring.
Their case unfolds amid increased restrictions on civil society in El Salvador, including government measures that critics say aim to silence independent organisations. The ongoing detention of Pérez and Henríquez continues to raise concerns about the criminalisation of peaceful community activism.
