Help End Human Rights Violations in El Salvador

Author Michelle Recinos, age 24, whose short story collection tells the story of abusive treatment by the El Salvadorian government, was scheduled for presentation at this year’s Guatemalan International Book Fair. However, the Salvadoran government issued an ultimatum to the Book Fair organizers — remove her book from the program, or El Salvador would cancel its participation in the gathering.

Last year, the government introduced a national “state of exception” in El Salvador that suspended certain civil liberties… and it is causing a human rights crisis. This measure, allegedly enacted to counter gang violence, has suspended basic rights, leading to over 60,000 people being unjustly detained without due process.

Harassment and stigmatization have become the norm for human rights defenders and journalists who dare to speak out against these injustices. The right to free speech and press is seriously under threat, with journalists leaving the country or self-censoring their voices.

Join us to call for the end of this “state of exception” and the creation of human rights-focused policies.