Venezuela Rescues 252 Nationals Detained in El Salvador's CECOT ‘Concentration Camp’

Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—As part of the Return to the Homeland program, two new flights returned 252 Venezuelan nationals to the country on July 18. They had been arbitrarily detained in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador after being deported from the US by order of President Donald Trump. These actions took place without access to justice or due process.

Earlier Friday afternoon, the Venezuelan government announced via a statement the release of Venezuelan migrants abducted by the US regime. This followed a negotiation involving the handover of 10 US nationals prosecuted for crimes against national security and some imprisoned far-right politicians.

The statement emphasized, “Venezuela has paid a high price to secure the freedom of these nationals through an exchange with US authorities of a group of US citizens who were at the mercy of justice for their proven involvement in serious crimes against the peace, independence, and security of the nation.”

On Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also announced the release of 10 US citizens detained in Venezuela. On social media, Rubio stated his fellow citizens “are on the path to freedom,” crediting “the leadership” of US President Donald Trump.

“I want to thank my team at the State Department,” Rubio said, extending special thanks to Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele for helping secure an agreement to release all US detainees and Venezuelan political prisoners.

Meanwhile, in Venezuela, on a televised address covering the migrants’ arrival, President Maduro explicitly thanked the US government and President Donald Trump for their “rectification.” He also recognized the work of Jorge Rodríguez, the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, Salvadoran Cardinal Gregorio Chávez, and former Spanish President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.

Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez received the unjustly detained migrants at Maiquetía International Airport in La Guaira state. She was joined by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, Venezuela’s main negotiator.

“We went to look for them from the concentration camps and we brought them back safe and sound,” declared President Nicolás Maduro upon the aircraft’s arrival in Venezuelan territory. He explained that authorities handed over “ten convicted and confessed foreign terrorists, CIA agents” who had attempted violent acts and assassinations of Venezuelan political leaders since February in exchange for the Venezuelans’ return.

The migrants sang Venezuela’s national anthem, “Gloria al Bravo Pueblo,” upon initial contact with Venezuelan authorities. Minister Diosdado Cabello reported that at least 50 repatriated migrants were tortured, with some shot by pellets that left injuries and caused difficulty walking, during boarding in El Salvador.

“The world needs to know. Since he [Nayib Bukele] was left out of this negotiation … they took revenge on our young people,” Cabello stated, claiming Salvadoran authorities acted with violence after being excluded from US-Venezuela talks.

Cabello added, “As Delcy Rodríguez says, they lost the deal where they were supposed to be paid per migrant in the concentration camp. If there is any justice, the UN should investigate this. We will prepare a dossier about all arriving youth” subjected to human rights violations.

From kidnapping to return
In March 2025, El Salvador’s government initially received 238 Venezuelan migrants deported from the US by order of President Donald Trump, as reported by Telesur.

Accused without evidence of ties to the defunct Tren de Aragua criminal gang, these migrants were sent to CECOT, a Salvadoran maximum-security prison designed for gang members. Abuse, torture, and medical neglect at CECOT have been reported by local and international human rights advocates. Washington allegedly paid $6 million for the arrangement.

Cabello clarified that only seven returnees had criminal records, consistent with his earlier statistic that just 2% of over 8,000 Venezuelans repatriated since March have such backgrounds.

After 100 days in El Salvador, the 252 Venezuelans remained detained at CECOT without formal charges or judicial review. Families and activists described their “ordeal” of total isolation under the country’s permanent state of emergency. Neither US nor Salvadoran authorities permitted relatives to verify detainees’ status.

UN sources report CECOT prisoners endure “particularly harsh treatment” without lawyers, legal representation, or family contact. NGOs document overcrowding, collective punishment, torture, and deliberate efforts to keep detainees incommunicado.

President Maduro on Migrants: Bukele is a Despicable Monster

Venezuela facing injustice
Dozens of Venezuelan families reported “forced disappearances” and illegal detentions, noting none of the youth were charged or appeared before judges, with no contact since March 15.

In a public letter released by Venezuela’s National Assembly president last month, families insisted detainees were migrants “without ties to criminal organizations” and demanded immediate repatriation. They emphasized that El Salvador’s failure to provide an official detainee list heightens uncertainty about their fate.

The UN Human Rights Office warned that the case may constitute forced disappearance, as neither Salvadoran nor US authorities have disclosed detainees’ whereabouts, detention circumstances, or official rosters.

The Venezuelan government intensified diplomatic demands, with President Maduro holding Nayib Bukele directly responsible for the prisoners’ lives and health while demanding respect for their human rights.

The Return to the Homeland program has accelerated repatriation flights since February 2025, returning over 8,000 migrants by July 2025 according to official figures.

Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff

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