A US citizen, Walter Josué Huete Alvarado, has been imprisoned in El Salvador's prison system since May 2023. Despite being a US citizen and having only a minor infraction on his record - a DUI when he was a teenager - Alvarado was detained by Salvadoran police who mistook him for a member of MS-13 due to the tattoos on his hands.
Alvarado's case highlights the broader crisis facing families in El Salvador who are struggling to understand their loved ones' perpetual and often inexplicable detentions. The US government, including the Biden administration, has been criticized for its inaction in Alvarado's case, with many human rights experts and lawyers arguing that his detention is a result of the authoritarian regime's crackdown on gang violence.
The Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukele, has been accused of using his power to silence critics and detain opponents. His government has arrested over 90,000 people, including thousands of minors, and has implemented a "state of exception" that allows for detention without trial. The country's incarceration rate is the highest in the world, with many prisoners facing torture, ill-treatment, and severe violations of due process.
Alvarado's family has been left to struggle with his prolonged absence, with his daughters feeling guilty and ashamed about their father's situation. His youngest daughter has even started asking if he has passed away. The Salvadoran president's popularity is partly due to the country's inability to reckon with its post-war contradictions, including the selling of its natural resources and the exportation of cheap labor.
The Intercept's reporting on this story highlights the need for independent journalism to hold those in power accountable. As Alvarado's case shows, the US government's silence has emboldened Bukele's regime, allowing it to crack down on dissent and opposition. The Intercept is fighting back by expanding its reporting capacity and needs support from readers like you.
The situation is becoming increasingly dire for democracy in the United States. The president has shown utter contempt for truth, using his power to dismantle the free press and rebuild the information environment to suit right-wing billionaires. In this most perilous moment for democracy, The Intercept is fighting back, but it needs your help to grow and expand its reporting capacity.
As Alvarado's case demonstrates, the situation in El Salvador is a symptom of a broader crisis that affects many countries across Latin America. The need for independent journalism has never been more urgent, and The Intercept is committed to holding those in power accountable, no matter what the cost.
Alvarado's case highlights the broader crisis facing families in El Salvador who are struggling to understand their loved ones' perpetual and often inexplicable detentions. The US government, including the Biden administration, has been criticized for its inaction in Alvarado's case, with many human rights experts and lawyers arguing that his detention is a result of the authoritarian regime's crackdown on gang violence.
The Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukele, has been accused of using his power to silence critics and detain opponents. His government has arrested over 90,000 people, including thousands of minors, and has implemented a "state of exception" that allows for detention without trial. The country's incarceration rate is the highest in the world, with many prisoners facing torture, ill-treatment, and severe violations of due process.
Alvarado's family has been left to struggle with his prolonged absence, with his daughters feeling guilty and ashamed about their father's situation. His youngest daughter has even started asking if he has passed away. The Salvadoran president's popularity is partly due to the country's inability to reckon with its post-war contradictions, including the selling of its natural resources and the exportation of cheap labor.
The Intercept's reporting on this story highlights the need for independent journalism to hold those in power accountable. As Alvarado's case shows, the US government's silence has emboldened Bukele's regime, allowing it to crack down on dissent and opposition. The Intercept is fighting back by expanding its reporting capacity and needs support from readers like you.
The situation is becoming increasingly dire for democracy in the United States. The president has shown utter contempt for truth, using his power to dismantle the free press and rebuild the information environment to suit right-wing billionaires. In this most perilous moment for democracy, The Intercept is fighting back, but it needs your help to grow and expand its reporting capacity.
As Alvarado's case demonstrates, the situation in El Salvador is a symptom of a broader crisis that affects many countries across Latin America. The need for independent journalism has never been more urgent, and The Intercept is committed to holding those in power accountable, no matter what the cost.
- can't believe they mistook this guy for a gang member just 'cause of his tattoos! 
and now his family's going through hell, it's like they're living in a nightmare 
. I mean, the US government should be doing way more to help him out, especially since he's a citizen 
. this whole situation is so unfair, it's like Nayib Bukele's just using his power to silence anyone who gets in his way 
. we need more independent journalism to hold people like him accountable 
i feel for the fam of this guy, his daughters r literally dyin 2 know wut happened 2 their dad 
its like how can a president be so bad at his job? 
& btw i love how The Intercept is speaking truth 2 power they gotta keep on fightin 4 what's right 
This whole thing with Walter Alvarado just blows my mind... I mean, you're a US citizen, get some DUI from years ago, and suddenly you're in El Salvador's prison system because of some tattoos on your hands? 
Like, how does that even happen? And now his daughters are living with this guilt and shame... it's heartbreaking. And what really gets me is the silence from the US government. I get it, El Salvador has its own issues with crime and gang violence, but come on! This is a case of mistaken identity and profiling at its worst. The fact that the president in El Salvador is using this as an excuse to silence critics and detain opponents... 
it's just plain worrying. We need more independent journalism like The Intercept pushing back against this kind of authoritarianism. 
. The fact that a US citizen was mistakenly detained based on tattoos and not the severity of his alleged crime is a stark illustration of the dangers of profile-based policing. It's alarming to see how Alvarado's case has been ignored by the Biden administration, effectively emboldening President Bukele's authoritarian regime 
This story is just heartbreaking, you know? A guy gets stopped by cops thinking he's part of MS-13 because of some tattoos on his hands... like, what even is that? 
... it's like, what even is going on here? 
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And to think he's just one of many Salvadorans who are getting dragged into this authoritarian nightmare... it's heartbreaking. I can imagine how hard it must be for his daughters, especially the youngest one thinking her dad might be gone 
- mistaken identity, tattoos, and a whole lot of drama 
. I mean, who gets detained for being a teenager with some cool (or in this case, not-so-cool) tattoos on their hands? It's just wild to think about how his life has been turned upside down by one wrong move.
. It just goes to show how fragile human rights are when you've got an authoritarian regime like El Salvador's.
). The Intercept seems like a solid org that's trying to shine some light on some really shady stuff, so here's hoping they can keep fighting the good fight 
What would you do if someone was stuck in a situation like this? The Intercept is trying to shine some light on these issues, but they need our support to keep doing that. 
with torture and all that jazz. it's no wonder the president's popularity comes from just ignoring all these human rights issues 
and now we're seeing this guy's family suffer because of it... like, what even is the point of having a president if they're not gonna protect their citizens? 
. We need to be talking about this and holding people accountable, not just sympathizing with the family members who are struggling to cope with their loved ones' detention 
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. Otherwise, we'll just let them keep running wild and ruining lives... no thanks!