Calling for Release of Ruth Eleonora Lopez

Floor Speech

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Mrs. RAMIREZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to join human rights defenders across the world to call for the immediate and unconditional release of Ruth Eleonora Lopez, who has been held in pretrial detention for over 1 year without any due process and without access to her family or even her lawyer.

A Salvadoran lawyer and human rights defender, Ruth is a political prisoner, unjustly targeted for her tireless fight against corruption and her demands for justice, accountability, and transparency from Bukele's government in El Salvador.

Authoritarians want to strike fear into our hearts. They want to punish dissent, and they want to criminalize those who would be willing to speak truth to power. But we will not concede the power of the people, and we will not be silent.

I unequivocally stand in solidarity with Ruth Lopez, her family, and human rights defenders. I say to them that they are not alone. We are with them, and we will not forget them.

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