Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), the high-security prison in El Salvador where 252 Venezuelans are being held illegally. File photo.
Family members of the Venezuelan migrants who are illegally detained in El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) sent a letter to the country’s president, Nayib Bukele, demanding immediate and unconditional release of their relatives who were transferred to El Salvador from the United States.
The president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Jorge Rodríguez, posted the letter on his social media, with the message: “Kidnapped in a concentration camp of Nayib Mengele in El Salvador. We want them alive and safe in their homeland, Venezuela.”
The full text of the letter is provided below:
Caracas, April 29, 2025
Mr. Nayib Bukele. President of the Republic of El Salvador
We, the relatives of the Venezuelan migrants who are illegally and arbitrarily detained in the Republic of El Salvador, completely reject the proposal made by you to use our loved ones as bargaining chips. We demand their immediate release and repatriation, without any condition whatsoever.
Our family members are innocent people and are not part of any criminal gang. They are simply men and women who decided to exercise their right to migrate to the United States, just as millions of Salvadorans have done throughout history.
Your proposal makes evident the serious human rights violations that have been committed and continue to be committed against our loved ones, as they are detained without being accused of any crime, without prior legal proceedings, and without allowing them to exercise their legitimate right to defense.
President Bukele, since March 15, 2025, we have not had any news of our relatives. We have not been able to establish telephone communication to ensure that they are alive, nor have they been able to contact their lawyers. Your government has not even provided the official list with the names of the people whom it is holding hostage.
By virtue of this, it is clear that our relatives are victims of forced deportation and transfer, forced disappearance, incommunicado detention, torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, and all kinds of violations of their human dignity, just for being Venezuelans.
You are directly responsible for these serious crimes, committed in open violation of all international human rights treaties ratified by El Salvador.
As family members and victims, which we also are, we demand from you, President Bukele, the immediate and unconditional release of our relatives and all Venezuelan migrants who remain unjustly detained in the Confinement Center for Terrorism (CECOT).
Venezuela: 357 Migrants Arrive in Venezuela Through Return to the Homeland Program
Human rights are not negotiable.
Yours sincerely,
1. MARLIN MORILLO, sister of Luis Tomas Morillo Piña
2. MALYUN SILVA, mother of Brayant Francisco Silva Romero
3. MARIA QUINTERO, mother of Henry José Albornos Quintero
4. NANCY ZAMBRANO, mother of Leandro José Hurtado Zambrano
5. CARMEN BONILLA, mother of Andry Omar Blanco Bonilla
6. GLORIA MENDOZA, aunt of Jordan Jesus Hung Mendoza
7. ESMERALDA LIZCANO, mother of Josue Abraham Vastro Lizcano
8. WISLEYDY GUTIERREZ, sister of Merwil Alberto Gutierrez Flores
9. MARIA ESCALONA, mother of Maiker Alejandro Espinoza Escobar
10. NUVIA MIREYA PEREZ, mother of Julio Enrique Zambrano Perez
11. ROSA ACOSTA, mother of Yermain Alexander Lugo Acosta
12. LUISMARUY GÓMEZ, mother of Luis Edixon Gomez
13. ISAMAR SERRANO, sister of Mikael Alejandro Fernández Subero
14. AYARI PEDROZA, mother of Jerce Egbunik Reyes Barrios
15. BLANCO LEOMARY, mother of Sebastián y Diego Blanco Rondón
16. MERCEDES YAMARTE, mother of Mervin Yamarte
17. DAMELIS VEGAS, mother of Rafael Martinez
18. NIRCY MARGARITA, mother of Robert Miguel Bustamante
19. ANABEL SUBERO, mother of Demerys Alfredo Bello Subero
20. NANCY TROCONIS, mother of Julio César González Troconis
21. ALENGER HERNANDEZ, wife of Andrys Daniel Cedeño Gil
22. FERNANDO APONTE, father of Rodríguez Da Silva
23. ELIZABETH DA SILVA, mother of Fernando David
24. SASKIA DÁVILA, sister of Luis Miguel Dávila
25. ROCIO SANCHEZ, mother of Miguel Sánchez Arteaga
26. JOSEANNY CARMONA, relative of José Alberto Carmona Hernández
27. ROSABI PINTO, relative of Cristhian Pinto Velasquez
28. BLANCA FLORES, sister of José Gregorio Flores López
29. ANALIA BURBANO, aunt of Victor Andres Ortega Burbano
30. RAFAEL FERNANDEZ, father of Julio Rafael Fernández Sánchez
31. OFREILIMAR PEÑA, relative of Jhonnael Jesus Hernández
32. RAFAEL FERNANDEZ, father of Julio Rafael Fernández Sánchez
33. OSVALDO MORENO, father of Maikel Enrique Moreno Ramírez
34. YETCENIA ZABALA, wife of Orlando Testa
35. JOSELYN ANDRADE, mother of Jesús Ríos
36. ADELYS SILVA, mother of Luis Carlos José Marcano Silva
37. YURAIMA RIVERA, mother of Rivera González Luis Carlos
38. YAMILETH RODRÍGUEZ, mother of Kenlyn Rafael Rodríguez Rojas
39. NEORIANNY ECHAVEZ, sister of Leonel Javier Echavez Paz
40. YANELIS LABRADOR, mother of Ricardo Javier Jaramillo Labrador
41. FRANYELI ZAMBRANO, relative of Rolando José Barreto Villegas Valencia
42. GLENDA GELVEZ, aunt of Hector Oswaldo Rosal Gelvez
43. ROMY PRIMOSCHITZ, aunt of Albert Alois Primoschitz González
44. DORILA QUINTERO, mother of Jorge Luis Guerrero Quintero
45. AURORA MELENDEZ, grandmother of William Alexander Martínez Ruano
46. LUIS GONZÁLEZ, father of Angel De Jesús González Fuenmayor
47. LIYANARA SANCHEZ, wife of Frengel Reyes Mota
48. JACKELINE MONTILLA, wife of Alex Daniel Méndez Boyer
49. ROSA GONZALEZ, mother of Manuel Hernandez
50. YURIANIS MORON, sister of Yuber Morón
51. IVONNE DE BENAVIDES, mother of Yornel Benavides Rivas
52. ERIKA GIRON, sister of Richard Girón Maurera
53. ROSLYANY CAAMAÑO, wife of Ringo Enrique Rincón
54. YURANSI GONZALEZ, mother of Anyelo José Sarabia González
55. WILMER ROOS, father of Jesús Gabriel Roos Ortega
56. TIBISAY MARTINEZ, mother of Alexis Enrique Medina Martinez
57. ANA KARINA NAVAS, mother of Keider Alexander Flores Nava
58. MIRELYS CONTRERAS, mother of Bruce Cedeño Contreras
59. ZAVALA INOCENCIA, mother of Hotsman Mathie
60. YDALYS CHIRINOS, mother of Ysqueibel Peñaloza Chirinos
61. CARMEN CARACHE, mother of Yeison y Darwin Hernández Carache
62. KARLYN FUENTES, mother of Joen Manuel Suarez
63. MARIA MELENDEZ, aunt of Angelo Smith Escalona
64. NELSON MENDOZA, father of Jean Claude Mendoza Peña
65. LORENA BORREGO, mother of Tito Alejandro Martinez Borrego
66. JHONNY HUECK, brother of Jesus Antonio Hueck Escobar
67. HODALIS BASULTO, mother of Marco Jesus Basulto Salinas
68. ANA ROSA RIBEIRO, mother of Yoswaldo José Mata Ribeiro
69. KATERIN ROMERO, sister of Wild Yahare Chirinos Romero
70. LUCY NOGUERA, mother of Yonel Alejandro Toro Noguera
71. JANETH DE PETTERSON, mother of Christean Bill Petterson
72. HECTOR VEGA, son of Wilmer Jose Vega Sandia
73. MARÍA GOMEZ, mother of Victor José Bracho Gomez
74. AUSTRIA PULGAR, mother of Frizgerald De Jesus Cornejo
75. ANGEL BLANCO, father of Angel Alberto Blanco Marin
76. NORIS CARRASQUEL, grandmother of Jinder Moises Angulo Apariccio
77. CAROLINA LUGO, mother of Henry Javier Vargas Lugo
78. VICTOR GONZÁLEZ, father of Charlie Michelle Gonzalez Rodriguez
79. MARIEN PADRON, mother of Keivy José Guerrero Padron
80. ARMANDO AGUILAR, father of Rafael Aguilar
81. RAMON ROJAS, father of Miguel Angel Rojas Mendoza
82. DIOLIMAR TIAPA, mother of Franco Jose Caraballo
83. MARIELA ESCOBAR, sister of Pedro Rafael Escobar Blanco
84. CHACON YOSLEIDY, wife of Jhon William Chacin
85. SILVA YULEXI, wife of Luis Ricardo Yanez
86. EGLEYMAR MARIN, partner of Darwin Xavir Semeco Revilla
87. REINA MARCANO, mother of Cesar Francisco Tovar Marcano
88. BLANCA MENDEZ, mother of Jose Antonio Peña Mendez
89. GISELE PIÑA, mother of Aldrin José Delgado Piña
90. CARMEN NUÑEZ, mother of Carlos Eduardo Mendoza Nuñez
91. ANA CHIVICO, sister of Carlos José Chivico Medina
92. ZULIMAR RODRIGUEZ, mother of José Miguel Flores Rodriguez
93. YENNI RINCON, sister of Jonathan Miguel Ramirez Ramírez
94. ORIANNY VÁSQUEZ, relative of Luis Alfredo Núñez Falcon
95. ALENGER HERNANDEZ, relative of Andrys Daniel Cedeño Gil
96. SONIA ORTIZ, mother of Maikol Solier Mendoza Ortiz
97. ELIMAR MELÉNDEZ, relative of Edwin Jesús Melendez Rojas
98. MIRELYS CACIQUE, relative of Francisco Javier García Cacique
99. JETZY ARTEAGA, mother of Carlos Cañizales
100. RENA JIMENEZ, mother of Wilken Rafael Flores
101. GLENDY ANDRADE, mother of Jesús Ríos
102. ERKIA PALENCIA, mother of Andy Perozo
103. MIRNA GUALDRON, mother of Luis Jeanpier Gualdron
104. FRANCISCO RODRÍGUEZ, father of Luis Gustavo Rodriguez
105. YARELIS HERRERA, mother of Edwuar José Hernández
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SF
