Since El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele declared a state of emergency in March 2022, local journalists and human rights organizations have raised concerns that Bukele has repeatedly renewed the state of emergency in a bid to systemically silence dissent and dismantle press freedom. The Salvadoran Journalists Association (APES) documented 311 attacks –including harassment, doxxing, threats, and criminalization– against journalists in 2023; in the first nine months of 2024, it recorded 165 more attacks.
In parallel, on a fact-finding mission to the country in September to learn about the deteriorating state of independent journalism, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) found that journalists in El Salvador are being subjected to lawsuits and audits, and at least one was arrested while the families of others have been targeted. They also found that journalists are under surveillance and that the government is restricting access to information.
Journalists and media face constant attacks on social media, including from President Bukele, and female journalists are particularly vulnerable to death threats and sexual violence from supporters. In addition, self-censorship is spreading among the press, with many journalists choosing to hide their bylines or leave the profession altogether due to fear of reprisals against them or their families. At least four journalists have fled the country due to constant harassment, the organizations reported.
