Spanish police have detained 25-year-old Salvadoran photojournalist Diego Andrés Rosa Rosales in Seville, following an international order issued by Nayib Bukele's government via Interpol. Rosa, who arrived in Spain two months ago and sought asylum due to political persecution, will appear before a National Court judge tomorrow. Groups like Reporters Without Borders denounce the extradition as an abuse against journalists.
On Friday, January 2, 2026, Spain's National Police detained 25-year-old Salvadoran photojournalist Diego Andrés Rosa Rosales in Seville after verifying an Interpol arrest warrant requested by Nayib Bukele's government. Rosa arrived in Spain on November 4, 2025, and specializes in human rights and politics. He has worked for outlets including Infomedia, Zuma Press, El Faro, Agencia Presentes, and La Prensa Gráfica.
Rosa went to a Seville police station with a representative from the Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid (CEAR) to advance his asylum application, citing persecution in El Salvador for his journalistic activism. The Central American government accuses him of cryptocurrency trafficking, a charge he denies and attributes to political reprisals. His lawyer, Marta Balmaceda, states: “In this case, it's not a crime being pursued but a person.” Mercedes Alconada, from CEAR in western Andalusia, explains that the asylum request is based on “persecution and risk of detention in his own country” for not aligning with the government.
He is being held in a station pending a teleconference appearance on Saturday before the National Court, which will decide on potential extradition. Given the pending asylum, he is likely to be released with his passport retained. Alfonso Bauluz, president of Reporters Without Borders in Spain, condemns: “We are clear that Spain cannot collaborate with the repression of journalists by authoritarian dictators.” Reporters Without Borders has assisted three Salvadoran journalists in Spain since Bukele took power, which has been criticized for mass detentions and suspensions of rights.
The United Nations has denounced Bukele's abuse of Interpol red notices to harass human rights defenders beyond borders. Special rapporteurs from the body noted last month: “Interpol is facilitating transnational repression without due diligence.” Similar cases include lawyers Ivania Cruz and Rudy Joya, who also sought asylum in Spain. Additionally, Rosa's brother was detained in Argentina.
