November 15, 2024, Washington, DC - In light of Atilio Montalvo’s critical state of health, the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) urgently calls for his immediate release from pre-trial imprisonment. Given his varied and significant illnesses, Montalvo is in acute danger of dying in prison and should be granted alternative measures to detention.

Atilio Montalvo is a historic leader who has dedicated his life to social justice for the people of El Salvador. Montalvo, as a leader of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), was a negotiator of the 1992 Peace Accords that brought an end to twelve years of civil war and five decades of brutal authoritarianism. Before that, he was a student and social movement leader and survivor of the 1975 student massacre.

Montalvo’s May 31, 2024 arrest, along with ten other ex-combatants and veterans who led the Alliance for a Peaceful El Salvador opposition group, was a clear attempt to stifle protest in the days leading up to Nayib Bukele’s inauguration for an unconstitutional second consecutive term.

When he was arrested, 72 year old Montalvo was recovering from a May 27 operation following a recent heart attack. He had also previously suffered a stroke in November 2023 and requires regular treatment for stage five chronic kidney disease and hypertension. An initial court order for Montalvo to remain in the hospital for treatment has not been respected and it has been reported that Montalvo is regularly denied adequate treatment in prison.

With his life in danger, Montalvo should be immediately released and permitted to see out his judicial process alongside his family and medical providers. Human rights organizations in El Salvador have warned that the death of a Peace Accords negotiator in prison would amount to a crime against humanity and an attack against the democratic transition that was ushered in with the end of the civil war.

CISPES echoes the urgent calls from Montalvo’s family and supporters for his immediate release.