On July 10, 2026, 80 international religious and faith-based organizations, human rights and immigrant rights groups, unions and Salvadoran diaspora groups published a letter calling for the release of Salvadoran unionist and community organizer Geovanni Aguirre, arrested on May 8, 2022, under Bukele's State of Exception. 

The organizations denounced his arbitrary detention, forced disappearance, the state’s failure to comply with judicial orders mandating his release from detention, and his inclusion in an upcoming mass trial that violates due process rights and could result in decades of wrongful imprisonment.

On August 19, join us in taking action for Geovanni's 37 birthday, his fifth while unjustly imprisoned. TOOL KIT to join the call for his immediate release HERE!

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-- Background --

Geovanni had worked for the San Salvador Mayor’s Office since 2016 and was active in defending the rights of municipal workers. Just days before his arrest, Geovanni, a leader in the municipal workers' union in San Salvador, had participated in the May Day march, where thousands took to the streets to defend labor rights and protest Bukele’s government policies. He was also deeply involved in youth, cultural, and social organizing in his community. His defense attorney has stated that, after reviewing the case file, there is no serious, objective, or legal evidence linking Geovanni to criminal organizations and that the evidence instead documents his work defending labor and union rights.

Following his arrest, Salvadoran courts have ordered Geovanni released under alternative measures on two separate occasions. His attorney has denounced the failure to comply with these judicial orders and called for an investigation into possible crimes of disobedience and breach of official duties by prison authorities.

During more than four years of imprisonment, Geovanni has also endured periods of enforced disappearance, during which his family and attorneys did not know where he was being held. His family and legal defense have also expressed serious concerns about his health, as they have received no updated medical information for approximately two years despite a previous examination documenting conditions requiring treatment.

Despite two judicial orders for his release, Geovanni is set to be prosecuted in a mass trial before the Fourth Tribunal Against Organized Crime. He has been grouped with other defendants accused of illicit association based on the alleged gang structure operating in the area where he lived. His defense and human rights organizations warn that including him in a collective trial denies him an individualized review of his case and further prolongs his arbitrary detention.

In addition to national and international calls for his release, his case has also been raised before the International Labour Organization (ILO), whose Committee of Experts has requested information from the Salvadoran government regarding his detention and the protection of freedom of association.

We demand the immediate freedom of Geovanni Aguirre and that Salvadoran authorities comply with the judicial orders for his release, guarantee an individualized judicial review, provide complete and updated information about his health, and end the criminalization of union organizing under the State of Exception.

Raise your voice for Geovanni’s freedom! International solidarity is essential for his release!

#FreeGeovanniAguirre

Take Action:

• Day of Action on Wednesday August 19, for Geovanni's 37th Birthday. TOOL KIT to join the call for his immediate release HERE!
• Urge Congress to speak out for political prisoners and to suspend U.S. security assistance to El Salvador

Resources:

• Background on the case
• International statement denouncing the arrests, signed by 80 organizations from around the world