El Salvador’s transformation is a template for the world. What if it’s a mirage?
El Salvador is at a historic turning point, where the democratic progress achieved following the signing of the Peace Accords in 1992 is facing a marked decline.
In a recent lecture on 8 July in San Salvador, the Human Rights Institute of the Central American University (IDHUCA) presented an analysis of El Salvador’s socio-political, economic and human rights situation, highlighting concerns over democratic institutions, human rights protections and the country’s current political trajectory.
The institute challenged the international narrative that portrays El Salvador as a “miracle” or a model to replicate, arguing that the country’s reality is shaped by a series of deeper challenges, including the erosion of democratic safeguards, restrictions on civic space and the use of communication strategies to influence public perception.
From democracy to autocracy
According to IDHUCA, El Salvador has moved away from democratic consolidation since 2019 and towards what it describes as an autocratic model, characterised by the weakening of institutional independence, restrictions on civic participation and the criminalisation of independent journalism and human rights defenders.
The institute acknowledged the significant reduction in violent deaths in recent years but argued that “less violence does not mean greater security”, pointing to concerns over legal uncertainty, weakened guarantees and the distinction between public safety and respect for the rule of law.
IDHUCA also questioned the idea of an economic “miracle”, arguing that current growth in areas such as tourism and commerce does not necessarily represent sustainable development, particularly in the absence of stronger redistributive policies.
The end of an unfinished democratic transition
The presentation examined El Salvador’s post-war period following the 1992 Peace Agreements, which ended more than a decade of civil conflict and established institutions designed to prevent abuses of state power, including the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence of Human Rights (PDDH).
However, IDHUCA argued that the country never achieved a fully consolidated democracy. The institute identified longstanding weaknesses from previous administrations, including the influence of sectoral interests in public policy, the persistence of militarised approaches to security and policies focused on addressing immediate problems rather than their structural causes.
2019–2026: The consolidation of an authoritarian model
From 2019 onwards, IDHUCA described the country’s trajectory as a process of “democratisation in reverse”. The institute argued that key democratic institutions, including electoral authorities, the Legislative Assembly and the judiciary, have lost independence due to increasing concentration of power within the Executive Branch.
A central concern raised during the presentation was the prolonged use of the state of emergency, first introduced in March 2022 following a surge in homicides.
IDHUCA stressed that, under El Salvador’s Constitution, emergency measures are intended to be temporary. However, repeated extensions have transformed the suspension of certain rights into a long-term policy, according to the organisation.
The institute warned that this has weakened due process guarantees, allowing arrests based on suspicion, extending pre-trial detention periods and limiting access to legal defence. It also argued that the measure has expanded beyond addressing gang-related crime and has contributed to pressure against journalists, human rights defenders and other critical voices.
Pressure on civil society and forced exile
IDHUCA described the period between 2025 and 2026 as a stage of further consolidation of what it considers an authoritarian system, with civil society organisations operating in an increasingly hostile environment.
The institute cited the arrests of figures including lawyer and researcher Ruth Eleonora López Alfaro, constitutional lawyer Enrique Anaya and other community defenders as examples of what it described as the criminalisation of human rights work and public criticism.
According to IDHUCA, these actions have contributed to the forced exile of more than 40 journalists and at least 30 human rights defenders due to threats against their safety or that of their families.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
