Pastors, union members, and minors among the 470 people who have died in prisons under the Bukele regime

The latest report from the Salvadoran organization Humanitarian Legal Aid (SJH) documents 470 deaths among people detained during the 45 months of the state of emergency imposed by Nayib Bukele. The investigation concludes that “a high percentage of people who entered the prison system healthy did not last even a month in prison and died; which indicates that they may have been murdered.”

The 32-page document reveals that 94% of those killed were not gang members. Among them were evangelical pastors, union leaders, taxi drivers, and four minors, including a newborn. This figure triples the 153 deaths in state custody reported by the organization Cristosal in 2023. In both cases, family members reported identifying bodies bearing signs of torture.

SJH collected testimonies from relatives and compared them with its own investigation over nearly four years. Since the beginning of the state of emergency, human rights organizations have denounced arbitrary arrests, torture, and killings in prison. Both Cristosal and SJH left El Salvador in 2025 following the government’s crackdown on critics and opponents.

The extraordinary measure, initially conceived for 30 days, has been extended for 45 months, covering almost four of Bukele’s six years in office. In addition to targeting gang members, it has been used to imprison critical voices such as lawyer Ruth López, constitutional lawyer Enrique Anaya, and activists arrested for protesting in front of the presidential residence.

The report details that 31.8% of the deceased died violently, while a similar number lost their lives due to lack of medical attention for chronic illnesses. In many cases, the causes of death were recorded as “under investigation,” which, according to SJH, is intended to prevent them from being counted as homicides.

Of the 470 cases, 294 people died after being admitted to hospitals in critical condition, and 143 died in their cells. Some 75 inmates died before they had served four months in prison. The organization estimates that the actual number of deaths could be as high as 1,300, with bodies buried in mass graves without families being notified.

Among the dead are four evangelical pastors in their fifties, three union members from various sectors, and women of up to 74 years of age. The report highlights the case of a newborn whose delivery was induced by torture suffered by her pregnant mother in prison, and that of a four-year-old girl who died of pneumonia after contracting it in jail.

Izalco, the invisible prison

The majority of deaths (40.9%) were recorded at the Izalco medium-security prison, followed by the La Esperanza center, known as Mariona (18.9%). The notorious Cecot, which has become a propaganda symbol for the government and is open to international media, accounts for only a small percentage of the deaths. Access to Izalco, however, is prohibited for the local press.

Organizations such as Human Rights Watch have documented allegations of torture in Izalco, a facility that has become the epicenter of prison repression, far from the media spotlight that the Bukele government directs towards Cecot.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition