The Movement of Dismissed Workers (MTD) has reported that 47,124 public sector employees have been removed from their positions in El Salvador between June 2019 and early 2026, pointing to a pattern of arbitrary action by the administration of President Nayib Bukele.

According to data compiled by the advocacy organization, the dismissals have accelerated significantly in the current term. During the first five-year administration (2019-2024), the MTD recorded 23,681 firings. In contrast, the group has documented 23,443 state workers dismissed in just the period spanning 2025 through the early months of 2026.

Luis Rivera, a Salvadoran lawyer affiliated with the MTD who provides legal counsel to affected workers, told reporters that the Executive Branch consistently violates due process and operates outside established legal frameworks.

While the government has framed the reductions as fiscal efficiency measures—data from the Ministry of Finance cited by local outlets shows a payroll cut of 8.1% excluding Defense between 2023 and 2024—Rivera contends the state is using administrative maneuvers to eliminate positions en masse without technical justification.

In response to the current landscape, the MTD has announced a national mobilization scheduled for May 1, coinciding with International Workers’ Day.

The march aims to protest the arbitrary dismissals, condemn the country’s extended state of exception—under which authorities have detained over 91,000 individuals in four years—and highlight the resulting inefficiencies plaguing state agencies due to staff shortages.

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