# El Salvador: freeze on assets of shareholders in El Faro's parent company, February to April 2026 Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 3 sources. Status: in effect, as of 2026-09-22. What we don't know: The sources cited do not state the legal basis Salvadoran authorities gave for the freeze (as of 2026-09-22). Between February and April 2026, the government of El Salvador, headed by the president, Nayib Bukele, placed "preventative annotations" on a bank account and real estate belonging to two partners of Trípode S.A. de C.V., the parent company of the investigative news outlet El Faro, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non-profit organization in New York. CPJ said on May 8, 2026 that "the targeting of individual shareholders' personal assets marks a dangerous escalation in the Bukele administration's long-standing effort to dismantle El Faro through administrative harassment." The sources cited give no public reason from the Salvadoran government for the measure.[1] - Country: [El Salvador](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/sv) - Where: El Salvador - Level of government: National - Tactic: Funding and ownership pressure - Head of government at the time: [Nayib Bukele](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/nayib-bukele) - Outcome: Sustained, May 8, 2026. In place as reported by CPJ on 2026-05-08; no reversal is reported in the sources cited. - Era: The 2020s ## What happened Between February and April 2026, the government of El Salvador, under the president, Nayib Bukele, froze personal assets of individual shareholders of Trípode S.A. de C.V., the parent company of the investigative outlet El Faro. CPJ reported that the government placed "preventative annotations" on a bank account and real estate belonging to two partners of the company.[1][2][3][4] In a report published on May 8, 2026, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the freeze "marks a dangerous escalation in the Bukele administration's long-standing effort to dismantle El Faro through administrative harassment." El Faro has operated partly from exile.[1][2][3][4] The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), an international network of investigative reporters, reported that at least 40 Salvadoran journalists had fled into exile fearing imprisonment as of mid-2025. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has described legal, physical and financial pressure on independent Salvadoran journalism that is pushing it out of the country.[1][2][3][4] Status as of 2026-05-08: In effect, according to CPJ. No reversal is reported in the sources cited.[3] ## What reason was given The Salvadoran government has not given a public reason for the freeze in the sources cited (as of 2026-05-08). The Bukele administration has described earlier actions affecting critical outlets in terms of tax and regulatory compliance.[4] ## What changed for reporting Two partners in El Faro's parent company had a bank account and real estate placed under "preventative annotations," adding personal financial pressure to years of administrative and legal pressure that CPJ and RSF say has pushed Salvadoran journalists into exile.[2] ## Timeline - 2026-04: El Salvador: freeze on assets of shareholders in El Faro's parent company, February to April 2026 ## Who acted | Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time | | --- | --- | --- | | [Nayib Bukele](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/nayib-bukele) | enforced | President of El Salvador | ## Outlets and journalists | Name | Kind | Relation | | --- | --- | --- | | [El Faro](https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/el-faro) | outlet | affected | ## Sources 1. At least 40 journalists have fled El Salvador fearing imprisonment. https://www.icij.org/inside-icij/2025/06/at-least-40-journalists-have-fled-el-salvador-fearing-imprisonment/ (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, 2025-06). 2. Bukele administration freezes Salvadoran news outlet's assets in latest act of retaliation. https://cpj.org/2026/05/bukele-administration-freezes-salvadoran-news-outlets-assets-in-latest-act-of-retaliation/ (Committee to Protect Journalists, 2026-05-08). 3. Independent press under siege in El Salvador: persecution, violence and financial strangulation. https://rsf.org/en/independent-press-under-siege-el-salvador-persecution-violence-and-financial-strangulation-force (Reporters Without Borders). ## Claims cited [1] CPJ reported the asset freeze occurred between February and April 2026. Quote: "Between February and April 2026, the Salvadoran government placed "preventative annotations" on a bank account and real estate property belonging to two partners of Trípode S.A. de C.V." Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2026-05-08. Bukele administration freezes Salvadoran news outlet's assets in latest act of retaliation. https://cpj.org/2026/05/bukele-administration-freezes-salvadoran-news-outlets-assets-in-latest-act-of-retaliation/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/78, checked 2026-09-22. [2] CPJ described the freeze as affecting individual shareholders' personal assets. Quote: "The targeting of individual shareholders' personal assets marks a dangerous escalation in the Bukele administration's long-standing effort to dismantle El Faro through administrative harassment." Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2026-05-08. Bukele administration freezes Salvadoran news outlet's assets in latest act of retaliation. https://cpj.org/2026/05/bukele-administration-freezes-salvadoran-news-outlets-assets-in-latest-act-of-retaliation/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/79, checked 2026-09-22. [3] CPJ's report describing the freeze was published May 8, 2026, with no reported reversal. Quote: "Between February and April 2026, the Salvadoran government placed "preventative annotations" on a bank account and real estate property belonging to two partners of Trípode S.A. de C.V." Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2026-05-08. Bukele administration freezes Salvadoran news outlet's assets in latest act of retaliation. https://cpj.org/2026/05/bukele-administration-freezes-salvadoran-news-outlets-assets-in-latest-act-of-retaliation/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/80, checked 2026-09-22. [4] No specific public rationale for the freeze was documented in CPJ's report. Quote: "Between February and April 2026, the Salvadoran government placed "preventative annotations" on a bank account and real estate property belonging to two partners of Trípode S.A. de C.V." Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2026-05-08. Bukele administration freezes Salvadoran news outlet's assets in latest act of retaliation. https://cpj.org/2026/05/bukele-administration-freezes-salvadoran-news-outlets-assets-in-latest-act-of-retaliation/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/81, checked 2026-09-22. Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2026-el-salvador-freezes-el-faro-shareholder-assets. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.