Venezuelan migrants being treated as terrorists by Salvadoran security agents at the infamous CECOT prison. Photo: El Salvador Presidential Press Office
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab described as “cynical” a proposal made by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele for a supposed “humanitarian agreement” to repatriate all of the 252 Venezuelans controversially deported from the United States in exchange for “the release and delivery of an identical number” of alleged political prisoners who, according to the Salvadoran president, exist in Venezuelan prisons.
During a press conference this Monday, April 21, Saab added that the statement itself constitutes recognition of the crime of kidnapping and questioned El Salvador’s lack of minimal conditions to warrant due process and respect for human rights.
On Sunday night, Bukele posted a public message on social media addressing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro: “I want to propose a humanitarian agreement that includes the repatriation of 100% of the 252 Venezuelans who were deported in exchange for the release and delivery of an identical number (252) of the thousands of political prisoners that you hold.”
In the text, Bukele accused the Venezuelans detained at El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) of crimes including murder, rape, and repeat offenses. He also claimed they were detained “as part of an operation against gangs like the Tren de Aragua gang in the United States.”
The 252 Venezuelans imprisoned in El Salvador were deported from the US by the Trump administration, which alleges they have ties to the Tren de Aragua criminal gang without evidence. Washington pays El Salvador $6 million annually to detain them in a high-security facility (CECOT), according to reports.
In response, Saab stated that Bukele’s remarks “demonstrate that these citizens are held captive at the unilateral discretion of an individual outside the law who publicly declares he tyrannically decides whether a human being can enjoy life and liberty in El Salvador.”
President Petro Condemns Criminalization of Venezuelan Migrants by El Salvador’s Bukele
Saab asserted that the treatment of Venezuelans in the US and El Salvador “constitutes a serious violation of international human rights law and crimes against humanity mirroring repugnant Nazi practices.” He announced plans to formally question Salvadoran authorities about:
• Crimes allegedly committed by the detainees in El Salvador;
• Judicial proceedings and legal representation;
• Communication access since their arrest.
He also demanded a full list of detainees, their legal status, and proof of life certificates with medical reports.
Saab condemned CECOT as a “site of forced disappearance for innocent Venezuelans” and urged international organizations to demand their immediate release. He labeled Bukele’s actions “criminal conduct,” violating principles of justice and peace.
Below is an unofficial translation of the statement:
In response to President Nayib Bukele’s cynical statement, in which he claims that 252 Venezuelan citizens illegally deported from the United States are being arbitrarily detained and subjected to forced disappearance in a concentration camp in that country, we wish to denounce the following:
1. Bukele’s statement, which makes his world debut as the most faithful exponent of neofascism of the 21st century, demonstrates that these citizens are being kidnapped at the unilateral disposal of a subject outside the law who publishes and communicates to the planet that he tyrannically decides when a human being can enjoy life and liberty in El Salvador or not.
2. As we explained in a letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker TĂĽrk, the treatment Venezuelans are receiving in the United States and El Salvador constitutes a serious violation of international human rights law and amounts to crimes against humanity that mimic the repugnant Nazi practices of the mid-20th century.
3. For this reason, I am now sending communications to the Attorney General of El Salvador and to the Supreme Court of that country, questioning them about:
    a) What crimes have these Venezuelan citizens in El Salvador committed?
    b) At what point were they brought before a judge?
    c) Have they had access to a lawyer?
    d) Have they been allowed to communicate with anyone since the time of their arrest?
As Attorney General of Venezuela, I immediately request the complete list with the identification of all detainees and their judicial status, as well as the proof of life certificate and medical report of each of the kidnapped.
The entire world should be disgusted by the fact that the “CECOT” is no longer a torture center created by the macabre mind of Bukele to punish criminals in his country, but a place of forced disappearance of innocent Venezuelan nationals (as agreed with his imperial partners) whom Bukele uses as an expert in human trafficking to receive millions of dollars in return.
The above demands that all international organizations request the immediate release of our compatriots, currently vilely kidnapped by a tyrant, and proceed to sanction this criminal conduct that attacks the most sacred principles of international coexistence, justice, and peace.
Tarek William Saab
Attorney General of Venezuela
(Caracas, April 20, 2025)
(Alba Ciudad) by Luigino Bracci with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SF
