Eric Lemus

Eric Lemus is a Salvadoran journalist whose work combines academic and journalistic research, focusing on the consequences of autocracy and the erosion of democracy in Central America. He has published five books, including one about the language used in Central American media against gangs, and another about El Salvador's handling of health data during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a former correspondent for international news agencies, Lemus has covered significant historical and political events across Central America, Mexico, and Europe. His reporting has included topics such as the Salvadoran civil war, the coup d'état in Honduras, and the rise of authoritarianism in Central America. Lemus has also examined China's increasing political influence over governments in Nicaragua and El Salvador, where democratic institutions are under threat.

During his time at Notre Dame, Lemus is creating an anti-corruption and transparency observatory to monitor and communicate patterns of opacity and government corruption in El Salvador. His research aims to assess progress and setbacks in efforts to combat corruption and impunity in the Northern Triangle of Central America, as well as study the rise of authoritarian political models in societies undergoing incomplete transitions to democracy.

Lemus holds a PhD in social communication from Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona.