Bukele arrests another of his critics

Nayib Bukele has just had another of his critics arrested.  The government of El Salvador Saturday detained prominent attorney Enrique Anaya.  The constitutional lawyer frequently spoke in public and wrote on social media, about the constitution and the rule of law in El Salvador.  He has been an outspoken critic of Nayib Bukele's capture of the judicial system in El Salvador and violations of the constitution. Anaya is purportedly being charged with money laundering, and his detention follows closely on the heels of the imprisonment of another prominent legal critic of Bukele, Ruth López.

In the week before his arrest, Anaya had been vocal critic of Bukele.  On June 3 Anaya was on Frente a Frente, a television interview show in El Salvador, saying Bukele was a dictator who had removed "the mask," adding "he is what he is."

"Here, whoever speaks, whoever criticizes, whoever does not kneel before the idol, gets imprisoned. Of course, I am afraid," Anaya said.

That fear is well-justified.  This past Wednesday Ruth López faced her initial hearing.  Despite the fact that there was no reason not to allow her to remain outside prison while the case against her proceeded, a court in Bukele's justice system ordered López to be held in a Salvadoran prison during an initial six month investigative phase in her criminal case. 

Anaya was sharply critical of the arrest and treatment of López. Seeing how she was treated when guards brought her to court he tweeted:

The day before his arrest, Anaya shamed the government for applying the measures of the State of Exception to Lopez and other recently arrested activists.  He tweeted:

In 2024, Anaya was one of the lawyers who presented a petition to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal in El Salvador that it declare Nayib Bukele's candidacy for a second period as president to be unconstitutional since it violated a ban on president's serving successive five year terms.

The Salvadoran Attorney General's office tweeted out this photo of Anaya's arrest with the statement that he would be charged with money laundering in the coming days:

Following Anaya's arrest, the human rights group Cristosal, issued this statement :

Ongoing Detention of Critical Voices: Cristosal Raises Alarm Over the Arrest of Lawyer Enrique Anaya 

San Salvador, June 7, 2025. Today, constitutional lawyer Salvador Enrique Anaya Barraza was arrested. His detention occurs amid a growing pattern of criminalization against those who have spoken out about the deterioration of the rule of law in El Salvador. 

Recently, Anaya denounced irregularities in the detention of our colleague, lawyer Ruth Lopez, as well as in the judicial decision to hold her in pretrial detention. He publicly highlighted violations of basic rights such as the right to defense, access to information, and due process guarantees. Enrique Anaya has been a key figure in defending democratic institutions and constitutional order. Drawing on his legal expertise, he has filed lawsuits before national and international bodies, challenging laws passed by the current Legislative Assembly and rulings that violate fundamental principles. Through articles, interviews, and public forums, he has been a critical voice against authoritarianism and the concentration of power. 

Anaya's arrest cannot be separated from this context of retaliation against those who exercise their right to speak out, criticize, and defend legality based on the Constitution. 

We demand that Salvadoran authorities act in accordance with the Constitution and international treaties, and fully guarantee the rights and due process protections of Enrique Anaya. We also alert the international community to this troubling escalation of attacks, arbitrary detentions, and criminalization of critical, independent, and organized voices who continue to defend legality, human rights, and democracy in El Salvador. 

As of mid-day on Sunday, June 8, Anaya's lawyer reported to the press that he had been unable to learn where Enrique Anaya was being held, was not able to  speak with him, and that Anaya needed to receive medication for a chronic medical condition.  He also reported that police had raided four properties owned by Anaya last night without finding any evidence of illegality.

Other things you should be reading:

‘They are pushing us out’: how El Salvador turned to gang violence laws to seize land from the poor (The Guardian)

A lawyer’s prolonged detention shows how El Salvador’s gang emergency extends to common crimes (AP)

‘We are under a dictatorship.’ Six years into his rule, El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele tightens his grip (CNN)

‘We know what’s coming: exile or prison’ – El Faro’s Óscar Martínez on surviving Bukele’s crackdown

Jury in El Salvador Convicts 3 Ex-Officers in 1982 Killings of Dutch Journalists (NYT)

Venezuelan deportees to El Salvador are entitled to due process, judge rules (ABC)

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, wrongly deported to El Salvador, is back in the U.S. to face smuggling charges (NPR)