President Nayib Bukele pushes a law imposing a 30% tax on NGO donations amid escalating human rights violations and repression against peasant communities and social defenders in El Salvador.

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President Nayib Bukele has announced a Foreign Agents Law project that imposes a 30% tax on donations received by NGOs, in a context marked by increasing criminalization of social protest and shrinking democratic space. This measure aims to financially suffocate organizations that defend human rights and support vulnerable communities, consolidating an authoritarian model denounced by multiple international bodies.

The law was announced right after a peaceful protest by 300 families from the El Bosque Cooperative, threatened with forced eviction following a contested judicial process. The government responded with police and military intervention, arbitrary arrests, and threats against community leaders. This episode reflects Bukele’s repressive policy, prioritizing economic and political interests over fundamental rights and the wellbeing of peasant families.

Systematic Human Rights Violations Under State of Exception

Since March 2022, Bukele has maintained a state of exception that has allowed the mass detention of over 80,000 people, many without solid evidence or due process. Reports document torture, extreme overcrowding, transfer of minors to adult prisons, and inhumane conditions in detention centers. Arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and sexual abuses form part of a systematic policy violating international human rights standards.

Tómense unos minutos para escuchar a Alejandro Henríquez sobre el caso de la Cooperativa El Bosque.

¡Libertad inmediata para Alejandro Henríquez y José Ángel Pérez! Su único 'delito' fue defender la tierra y a 300 familias campesinas. pic.twitter.com/dARQO3j0y0

— 𝗠ó𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮 ®𝗼𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘇 (@MonikR84) May 14, 2025

The text reads: Take a few minutes to listen to Alejandro Henríquez discuss the El Bosque Cooperative case. Immediate release for Alejandro Henríquez and José Ángel Pérez! Their only “crime” was defending the land and 300 peasant families.

The proposal not only taxes donations but also establishes registration requirements and criminal penalties for NGOs, creating a legal framework that restricts freedom of association and expression. This law seeks to criminalize organizations that challenge the government and defend vulnerable sectors, deepening power concentration and social control in the hands of the executive.

Bukele’s policies, far from ensuring security and development, have eroded democratic institutions and generated an atmosphere of fear and exclusion. The new law and repression against the El Bosque Cooperative reveal a model that favors militarization and criminalization over dialogue and social justice, putting the country’s stability and future at risk. The international community and Salvadoran civil society face a crucial challenge to defend human rights and the rule of law.

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