Venezuela launches a blistering investigation into El Salvador’s CECOT prison, accusing the regime of torturing US-deported migrants under Trump’s revived policies.
At a Glance
- Venezuela’s attorney general is investigating alleged torture of 250+ deported Venezuelans at El Salvador’s CECOT prison.
- Migrants were deported under Trump’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.
- Detainees reported beatings, sexual abuse, starvation, and contaminated water.
- A three-way prisoner swap returned 252 Venezuelans in exchange for detained Americans.
- President Bukele and top Salvadoran officials are accused of human rights violations.
Allegations of Torture Behind Prison Walls
A brutal human rights scandal is unraveling after Venezuela opened a formal investigation into El Salvador’s notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). The probe follows harrowing reports from 252 Venezuelans deported by the US under Trump’s revived Alien Enemies Act, who were detained in El Salvador’s mega-prison under horrific conditions.
Detainees, some of whom had no criminal convictions, allege they endured physical beatings, sexual violence, psychological torment, starvation, and contaminated food and water. Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab labeled the conditions tantamount to torture, warning that those responsible will face justice.
Watch a report: “Venezuela Demands Answers from El Salvador on CECOT Prison” — YouTube
Among the victims is Andry Hernández Romero, a gay asylum-seeker who vanished into CECOT’s walls before his release through a prisoner exchange. Survivor accounts detail overcrowded cells, rampant abuse, and a complete absence of medical care, amplifying concerns that the US outsourced detainee abuse under the guise of deportation.
A Shadowy Prisoner Swap and Global Repercussions
The scandal escalated after a delicate prisoner exchange involving the US, El Salvador, and Venezuela: 252 Venezuelan detainees were freed in return for 10 Americans held in Venezuelan prisons. This covert diplomacy has drawn sharp criticism, with human rights advocates condemning the US for complicity in exposing deportees to abuse abroad.
President Nayib Bukele, along with Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro and prison chief Osiris Luna, are now named targets in Venezuela’s probe. The investigation signals mounting international scrutiny on Bukele’s security regime, which has been celebrated domestically for its tough-on-crime stance but reviled globally for human rights abuses.
Legal experts warn that these revelations could implicate not just Salvadoran officials but also US policymakers who sanctioned these deportations without oversight. If proven, the allegations could expose the Trump administration’s role in indirectly enabling torture.
Will Justice Prevail or Politics Intervene?
As demands for accountability grow louder, the geopolitical stakes are soaring. Advocates urge independent investigations and international oversight to prevent further abuses and ensure victims receive justice. The Biden administration, so far, has distanced itself from the Trump-era deportation strategy but faces increasing calls to investigate the policy’s aftermath.
This unfolding crisis not only threatens to tarnish El Salvador’s international standing but also casts a shadow over US immigration enforcement tactics. Whether legal action ensues against Salvadoran leaders—and whether the US confronts its role in this humanitarian catastrophe—remains a pivotal test for justice on the global stage.