Feminists in Action supports four Salvadoran feminist organizations that carry out projects to support victims of gender-based violence (GBV), promote sexual and reproductive health, and create participatory spaces to connect and strengthen the feminist movement in El Salvador.
For the past year, these organizations and many others have faced increasing restrictions imposed by the state and its Ley de Agentes Extranjeros (Foreign Agents Law). Amid almost total media silence, the law’s enforcement has curtailed the work of feminist and activist groups, going so far as to involve forced entry into the premises of targeted organizations.
A Law Passed Without Public Debate
On May 20, 2025, the Legislative Assembly adopted the “Ley de Agentes Extranjeros” without public debate. Presented as a tool to combat corruption and ensure transparency in foreign funding, this law actually imposes severe restrictions on the freedom of action of civil society organizations.
Its effects are particularly concerning for feminist organizations. On the one hand, there is no independent state institution to guarantee protection against the state’s criminalization of civil society. On the other hand, the law requires any organization receiving international funding—directly or indirectly—to register with the RAEX, the Registro de Agentes Extranjeros (Register of Foreign Agents).
A Tax Burden That Stifles Organizations
This registration triggers a 30% tax on every transaction originating from abroad. The consequences are severe: registered organizations find their ability to act severely limited by this tax burden and by increased state surveillance. Conversely, those that refuse to register are cut off from international funding, risking having to cease their activities.
As pointed out to us by the organization supported through Féministes en Action, Concertación Feminista Prudencia Ayala (CFPA), the law’s provisions are not clearly defined, leaving considerable room for arbitrary interpretation. Consequently, when the very launch of a project depends on the application of the 30% tax penalty, this can lead to considerable delays.
A Model Inspired by Authoritarian Regimes
As Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have pointed out, similar laws have already been enacted in countries such as Russia, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, with the aim of controlling organizations perceived as critical of the government. Amnesty International warns in particular about the power granted to the Salvadoran government to revoke an NGO’s legal status based on vague criteria, such as a “threat to social and political stability,” turning this law into a veritable political weapon of the state.
The CFPA confirms this: opportunities for debate are limited, and the government tends to label organizations that speak out on public policies as “destabilizing” to the Salvadoran government. This has even led many organizations to cease their activities or leave the country.
In March 2026, Amnesty International highlighted the spread of so-called “anti-NGO” laws in Central and South America, based on similar logic: the designation of an external enemy, vague provisions, and arbitrary oversight mechanisms.
Repression on the Ground
CFPA reports that it has learned of a police raid on an association under the pretext of pursuing a thief, and that the organization’s security guard was subsequently arrested.
In light of the new and increased risks to which this law exposes feminist and human rights organizations in El Salvador, CFPA states that:
“As part of our collaborative efforts, we have held discussion sessions on the risks we face in the activities we carry out, and we have developed plans for each of the risks we have identified through consensus.”
A Civic Space Under Threat
Ultimately, this law not only has a significant financial impact on NGOs—particularly feminist organizations already weakened by limited access to funding—but its effects are even more pronounced on the political and social fronts. It is part of a broader trend of criminalization, surveillance, online harassment, and forced exile targeting activists, journalists, and human rights defenders in El Salvador.
Rather than serving as a tool for transparency, this law appears to be an instrument for controlling and restricting civic space, which—in a country where fundamental rights such as sexual and reproductive rights are violated—worsens the situation of the population and highlights the vital role of human rights organizations.