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El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, has addressed allegations made by former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding conditions at the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). This facility, known as the country’s maximum-security prison, has been the destination for some migrants deported from the United States.
Bukele’s response was prompted by Clinton’s post on X, which featured an 11-minute segment from a PBS Frontline documentary titled “Surviving CECOT.”
In her post, Clinton commented, “Curious to learn more about CECOT?” urging viewers to listen to Juan, Andry, and Wilmer as they recount their experiences of being labeled as gang members without evidence by the Trump administration, leading to their deportation to the harsh El Salvadoran prison.
The documentary focuses on the experiences of three Venezuelan men — Juan José Ramos Ramos, Andry Blanco Bonilla, and Wilmer Vega Sandia — who were deported to CECOT as described in the film’s synopsis.
These men were identified by the U.S. government as members of the Tren de Aragua gang, a label they strongly contest.
In response, Bukele said his country was ready to cooperate if Clinton thinks people have been tortured in the notorious prison that houses many of the country’s gang members and migrants deported from the US.
“We are willing to release our entire prison population (including all gang leaders and all those described as “political prisoners”) to any country willing to receive them,” he wrote. “The only condition is straightforward: it must be everyone.”
“This would also greatly assist journalists and your favorite NGOs, who would then have thousands of former inmates available for interviews, making it far easier to find additional voices critical of the Salvadoran government (or willing to confirm whatever conclusions are already expected),” added Bukele. “Surely, if these testimonies reflect a systemic reality, a much larger pool of sources should only reinforce the claim, and many governments should be eager to offer protection.”
Until then, he continued, El Salvador will continue prioritizing the human rights of the millions of Salvadorans who today live free from gang rule,” Bukele said.
Bukele solidified his relationship with President Donald Trump by offering to house certain migrants deported from the US at CECOT.
The US has deported Venezuelan migrants deemed to be gang members to El Salvador after their home country refused to take them back.
A federal judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to provide due process to a class of Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador in March, and gave it two weeks to detail how it will do so – setting up another high-stakes clash between the White House and the federal courts.