Author Louis Benavides shares a personal account from San Salvador, El Salvador, detailing the events surrounding the disappearance of his wife, Ruth López, into El Salvador’s prison system. López, an anticorruption lawyer known for her meticulous work and international reputation, was detained by Salvadoran authorities in May 2025.

Ruth was the director of the Anti-Corruption and Justice Unit at Cristosal, a Central American human rights organization. Her investigations targeted corruption issues such as the misuse of pandemic funds and fraud related to Bitcoin’s adoption as legal tender in El Salvador. Despite her international recognition, including being named one of the 100 most influential women worldwide by the BBC two years ago, López was arrested on charges she could not defend against.

El Salvador’s prisons have gained a reputation for brutality. Under President Nayib Bukele’s administration, the Salvadoran government has detained approximately 90,000 people, about 2% of the country’s adult population, since declaring a state of emergency over four years ago. The crackdown on crime and gangs, which many believe has improved safety, has also served as a means to suppress dissent. Most detainees are denied family contact and legal representation, often languishing without trial.

The scope of the mass raids includes both the guilty and the innocent, yet due process is nearly nonexistent. Courts lack the autonomy to distinguish between them, leaving the innocent with little hope for equity. Many cases are processed en masse, with prisoners tried in large groups. Recent legislation allows children as young as 12 to receive life sentences.

Benavides seeks to raise awareness about these issues and their dire consequences for those unjustly imprisoned in El Salvador’s system.