El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, has issued a response to claims made by former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding conditions at the country’s notorious maximum-security facility, the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). This facility has become a focal point for controversy, especially concerning migrants deported from the United States.
Clinton’s remarks came in the form of a post on the social media platform X, where she shared an 11-minute PBS Frontline documentary titled “Surviving CECOT.” The post aimed to draw attention to the stories of individuals affected by these deportations.
“Curious to learn more about CECOT?” Clinton wrote in her post. “Hear Juan, Andry, and Wilmer share firsthand how the Trump administration branded them as gang members without evidence and deported them to the brutal El Salvadoran prison.”
The documentary follows the experiences of three Venezuelan men—Juan José Ramos Ramos, Andry Blanco Bonilla, and Wilmer Vega Sandia—who were deported to CECOT under the Trump administration. According to the film’s description, these men were labeled as members of the Tren de Aragua gang by U.S. authorities, a claim they vehemently deny.
This situation has brought significant attention to the policies of former President Donald Trump and the stance of President Nayib Bukele regarding the treatment of deported individuals in El Salvador. The discussion underscores the ongoing debate over immigration and the labeling of migrants as gang members without substantial evidence.
All three men were branded by the U.S. government as Tren de Aragua gang members, which they deny.
In response, Bukele said his country was ready to cooperate if Clinton thinks people have been tortured in the notorious prison that houses many of the country’s gang members and migrants deported from the U.S.
“We are willing to release our entire prison population (including all gang leaders and all those described as “political prisoners”) to any country willing to receive them,” he wrote. “The only condition is straightforward: it must be everyone.”
Hillary Clinton criticized the conditions at El Salvador’s CECOT prison, prompting a response from the country’s President, Nayib Bukele. (Getty Images)
“This would also greatly assist journalists and your favorite NGOs, who would then have thousands of former inmates available for interviews, making it far easier to find additional voices critical of the Salvadoran government (or willing to confirm whatever conclusions are already expected),” added Bukele. “Surely, if these testimonies reflect a systemic reality, a much larger pool of sources should only reinforce the claim, and many governments should be eager to offer protection.”
Until then, he continued, El Salvador will continue prioritizing the human rights of the millions of Salvadorans who today live free from gang rule,” Bukele said.
Bukele solidified his relationship with President Donald Trump by offering to house certain migrants deported from the U.S. at CECOT. The U.S. has deported Venezuelan migrants deemed to be gang members to El Salvador after their home country refused to take them back.
A federal judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to provide due process to a class of Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador in March, and gave it two weeks to detail how it will do so – setting up another high-stakes clash between the White House and the federal courts.
