Bukele Proposes Prisoner Swap with Maduro for Venezuelan Deportees

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele proposed a prisoner swap with Venezuela, seeking to exchange 252 Venezuelan deportees for an equal number of political prisoners held by Maduro. This proposal, highlighted on social media, addresses detainees linked to Venezuela’s electoral crackdown. Bukele’s actions come under scrutiny amid concerns regarding the treatment of deportees in El Salvador’s mega-prison.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has proposed a prisoner swap with Venezuela, aiming to exchange about 252 Venezuelan deportees held in El Salvador for an equal number of political prisoners currently detained in Venezuela. The proposal was made public through a post on X, wherein Bukele addressed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, noting that those imprisoned in Venezuela have been charged as political dissidents.

Bukele specifically mentioned numerous individuals including family members of prominent Venezuelan opposition leaders and journalists imprisoned during last year’s electoral events, highlighting figures such as the son-in-law of former candidate Edmundo González and the mother of opposition leader María Corina Machado. He urged that this humanitarian agreement could facilitate the repatriation of Venezuelans back to their home country.

Furthermore, Bukele announced plans to instruct El Salvador’s foreign ministry to initiate discussions with the Maduro administration regarding the swap. This proposal emerges amidst growing concerns over El Salvador’s handling of deportees from the United States, many of whom have been unjustly labeled as gang members and detained in a mega-prison, known as the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).

The political climate has intensified, especially following revelations that an American citizen, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, was included among those deported. El Salvador’s Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas expressed deep concern over the potential implications of Bukele’s actions, urging him not to let the country devolve into an “international prison.” Despite facing international scrutiny, Bukele asserted that the detainees in CECOT are part of an operation targeting gangs, including the Tren de Aragua, which the U.S. has also been combating.

President Bukele’s proposal for a prisoner swap with Venezuela highlights the ongoing complexities of international relations and domestic policies regarding deportees and political prisoners. While aiming to resolve humanitarian concerns, it raises significant questions about the treatment of deportees in El Salvador and the politicized nature of imprisonment in both countries. As discussions progress, the international community will closely monitor these developments.

Original Source: www.haltonhillstoday.ca