Five Salvadoran environmental activists, previously acquitted of decades-old murder charges, face a retrial after the government overturned both their verdict and the country’s metal mining ban.
Nina Lakhani reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- The activists, who led efforts to ban metal mining in El Salvador, were arrested in 2023 on allegations related to the 1989 killing of an army informant.
- A court dismissed the case in October 2024 due to lack of evidence, but the attorney general, a close ally of President Nayib Bukele, successfully appealed for a retrial.
- The retrial comes amid Bukele’s push to reopen the country to mining, despite public opposition and warnings of environmental harm.
Key quote:
“Given the new context, with the government reopening the country to mining, the trial is even more significant. I’m hoping the court will send a strong message, upholding the right to defend rights, which is going to be vital in the months ahead in El Salvador.”
— Mary Lawlor, UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders
Why this matters:
Social tensions around mining have simmered for years in El Salvador, a densely populated nation where communities often live in close proximity to proposed mining sites. The ban had temporarily eased these conflicts, giving local communities a reprieve from the threat of displacement and environmental harm. With its repeal, many fear that protests and confrontations could reignite, deepening divisions and exacerbating social unrest and injustice.
