From ESCR-Net, we express our deep concern and solidarity with Movimiento Unificado Francisco Sánchez-1932 following the violent attack that took place on February 26, 2026, against its agroecological project in San Isidro, Cabañas. According to information shared by the organization, a member of the Network, unknown individuals deliberately set a fire that destroyed productive infrastructure, crops, and irrigation systems within the community-managed agroecological farm.
For more than 25 years, this space has represented a community-based alternative to mining extractivism, promoting agroecology, food production, environmental protection, and the strengthening of community organization.
The project has generated local employment, provided technical training for rural women and youth, protected biodiversity, and ensured access to water for nearby communities.
This attack constitutes direct aggression against land defenders and the communities that promote sustainable, nature-respecting models of development.
These events occur in a worrying context in which environmental defenders, journalists, and civil society organizations in El Salvador have reported increasing harassment and criminalization.
The destruction of this project directly affects the exercise of economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights, including the rights to food, work, water, and a healthy environment.
We call on the Salvadoran State to:
- Immediately investigate the attack and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
- Guarantee that members of MUFRAS-32 can file complaints and access justice without fear of reprisals.
- Adopt effective protection measures for land and environmental defenders in Cabañas.
We express our full solidarity with MUFRAS-32 and the communities of San Isidro who continue to defend life, water, and territory in the face of extractive models.
