El Salvador: Despite judicial orders, imprisoned in Cecot, one of the toughest prisons in the world

I told him details about José Duval Mata's case and after the press conference his team asked me for copies of the judges' release orders. A few days later, a member of his inner circle asked for the information a second time, this time in digital form, which I again provided to them.

In the weeks that followed, the BBC continued to target the Bukele government, and I spoke directly to Vice President Félix Ulloa several times about the case.

Over a year ago, he told the BBC that Mr Mata was just days away from being released.

Mr Ulloa expressed his hope that the media would portray José Duval Mata as a “symbolic case of due process” after his release from prison.

In fact, he was transferred to Cecot at that time without his family's knowledge.

Earlier this year, after months of requests, the BBC was granted access to Cecot, but we were not allowed to speak to inmates or question officials about specific cases.

Marcela has not received proof of life or formal confirmation of her son's well-being for over two years. Not surprisingly, she often thought that José Duval might have died in prison.

“I thought about it all the time,” she tells me from her small plot of land in La Noria. “I was obsessed with the idea, I was completely desperate. I just cried.”

Now, she says, she just clings to the hope that her son is still alive and will be released at some point.

“I trust in God. That's all I can do.”