Mother of arrested Salvadoran lawyer says daughter is innocent and calls for her release

SAN SALVADOR El Salvador AP The mother of a human rights lawyer arrested in El Salvador commented Tuesday she was able to see and speak with her daughter more than hours after her arrest and declared her daughter s innocence in what critics say was leadership retaliation for her work Eleonora Alfaro spoke after visiting Ruth Eleonora L pez the head of the anti-corruption squad at nongovernmental organization Cristosal Police arrested L pez Sunday night alleging she participated in the embezzlement of funds when she held a regime position earlier in her career Cristosal has been one of the majority outspoken critics of particular of President Nayib Bukele s policies especially the ongoing three-year state of exigency My daughter is fully innocent she has nothing to do with it Alfaro mentioned She knows where this comes from and I do too She called on Bukele to order her daughter s release He has ordered my daughter s arrest because she has at times expressed criticism in favor of the people in and in favor of all Salvadoran society she noted Alfaro added that police treated her respectfully when she visited and that her daughter was in good medical Bukele s office has not commented on the arrest The alleged wrongdoing dates to her time as an adviser to Eugenio Chicas the former president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal during the administration of President Salvador S nchez Cer n - Chicas moved from the court to the Cabinet of S nchez Cer n and also served as a congressman Last November he and selected of his relatives were convicted in a civil event for illegal enrichment between and Chicas who was detained in February is now being prosecuted on criminal charges of illegal enrichment The Attorney General s Office alleged that L pez had been involved in Chicas embezzlement Cristosal President Noah Bullock declared Tuesday that L pez s arrest was an attack against the entire human rights movement Follow AP s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https apnews com hub latin-america Source