Salvadoran journalists’ association relocates abroad over Bukele’s 'Foreign Agents Law'

In a statement released on Wednesday, APES said the decision was driven by the “limitations and challenges” facing civic space, pointing directly to the Foreign Agents Law approved in May. The legislation, which imposes a 30% tax on funds and donations from abroad, has already forced several civil society organisations to shut down. Groups that fail to register with the Interior Ministry also face fines of up to $250,000.

APES warned of an “imminent risk” of an information blackout in El Salvador, noting that between January and June alone, 43 journalists had left the country, many of them unwilling to return for fear of arbitrary detention.

The organisation had already announced the closure of its offices inside the country, describing conditions under the law as “stifling, arbitrary and unlawful.” CNN en Español sought comment from the Salvadoran government but received no response.

The law has accelerated the closure of long-standing NGOs. In September, the Foundation for the Development of Social Sciences (Fudecso) dissolved after more than three decades, citing the shrinking civic space. The Foundation for the Study and Application of Law (Fesfad) also shut down, saying the legislation created legal insecurity and made financial sustainability impossible.

Human rights group Cristosal suspended operations in July, denouncing government harassment after the arrest of its lawyer and activist Ruth López, accused of illicit enrichment — charges she denies.

International bodies have raised alarm. UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor said conditions for rights protection in El Salvador had “deteriorated,” while Amnesty International pointed to a “worrying increase” in harassment and criminalisation of journalists, activists and civil society groups.

Meanwhile, lawmakers from Bukele’s ruling Nuevas Ideas party insist the law is meant only to ensure transparency about foreign funding.