Santa Marta Unida…
On Wednesday, April 3, almost 15 months after their arrest, the case against El Salvador’s historic anti-mining activists and water defenders goes to trial and we need your support!
The #SantaMarta5, community leaders who played a key role in the struggle to secure the world’s first national metallic mining ban in #ElSalvador, were arrested on January 11, 2023, accused without evidence of a civil war era crime. Months before their arrest, the community leaders denounced the current governments’ plans to bring mining back to Salvador. After several appeals from the international community, the activists were released under house arrest following 7 months of violations of their right to due process; despite the lack of evidence or legal basis for the charges against them (the charges violate the National Reconciliation Act of 1992), the attorney general has not dropped all the charges against them, and the case goes to court this Wednesday, April 3rd. This context raises significant questions on whether the water defenders will have access to a fair and impartial trial.