El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has proposed a controversial prisoner exchange to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, offering to repatriate 252 Venezuelans deported from the U.S. and currently detained in El Salvador in exchange for the release of an equal number of political prisoners held by the Venezuelan government.
The deported individuals are being held in El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a maximum-security prison criticized by human rights organizations for alleged abuses. While U.S. authorities claim these individuals are affiliated with criminal gangs like Tren de Aragua, reports suggest that many lack formal charges or clear evidence against them.
Bukele’s proposal includes the release of prominent Venezuelan opposition figures, such as journalist Roland Carreno and human rights lawyer Rocio San Miguel. He emphasized that, unlike the deportees, these political prisoners have not committed crimes but are incarcerated for opposing Maduro’s government.
The Venezuelan government swiftly rejected the proposal, with Attorney General Tarek William Saab labeling it “cynical” and demanding detailed information on the detainees’ legal and medical status. President Maduro has accused the U.S. and El Salvador of “kidnapping” Venezuelan citizens, asserting that the deportees were denied due process.
Bukele has previously denounced Maduro’s regime, expelled Venezuelan diplomats, and recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate president.