El Salvador - May 2025

On 20 May, the Legislative Assembly passed an executive-initiated Foreign Agents Law, which entered into force on 7 June. The legislation establishes a Foreign Agents Registry and mandates organizations and private individuals that receive foreign funds to register as ‘foreign agents.’ It also requires that they label their reports and other documents to indicate that they are financed by a foreign agent. Affected parties will have to pay a 30 per cent tax on all funds received from abroad and risk hefty fines or the cancellation of their registration for non-compliance. President Bukele and the legislature justify the measure as needed to ensure transparency and accountability, stating that the resulting revenue will be used to support local charities and public works; when announcing the bill, Bukele lambasted some civil society for their criticism of the government. The new legislation will severely impact the work of civil society and independent media, who will now face overly burdensome reporting and fiscal obligations.

Sources: Asamblea Legislativa de El Salvador, Newsweek, OHCHR, CNN, Refworld