For a charge, El Salvador is able to accommodate any convicted criminals, be they unlawful aliens or Americans
The President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, has proposed that the US “outsources a part of its jail system,” to lock up harmful criminals in his nation’s infamous mega-jail, for a charge. The massive most safety facility was constructed to incarcerate suspects detained amid a authorities crackdown on gang violence.
Bukele reportedly floated the concept throughout a latest assembly with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who visited the Central American nation on his first official journey overseas on Tuesday. Rubio revealed the proposal, stating the US was “profoundly grateful” to Bukele for the provide.
“He has provided to deal with in his jails harmful American criminals in custody in our nation, together with these with US citizenship and authorized residency,” Rubio informed reporters, including that “no nation’s ever made a proposal of friendship corresponding to this.”
El Salvador has additionally agreed to again US President Donald Trump’s effort to crack down on unlawful migration, taking in deported migrants and “criminals of any nationality, be they MS-13 or Tren de Aragua,” Rubio mentioned, mentioning the 2 main transnational crime gangs working in Central and North America. MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) is comprised primarily of Salvadorans, the opposite Rubio talked about is basically Venezuelan.
The provide was confirmed by Bukele shortly after, with the president touting it as an “alternative to outsource a part of its jail system” for the US.
“We’re prepared to absorb solely convicted criminals (together with convicted US residents) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in alternate for a charge. The charge could be comparatively low for the US however vital for us, making our whole jail system sustainable,” the president wrote on X, sharing footage from the infamous facility.
We’ve got provided the US of America the chance to outsource a part of its jail system.We’re prepared to absorb solely convicted criminals (together with convicted U.S. residents) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in alternate for a charge.The charge could be comparatively low for… pic.twitter.com/HTNwtp35Aq
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) February 4, 2025
The mega-jail, formally often called the Terrorism Confinement Heart (CECOT), was opened in early 2023 amid Bukele’s effort to crack down on organised crime within the nation – the centerpiece of his first presidential marketing campaign that bought him elected for the primary time in 2019.
The utmost safety facility, boasting a capability of some 40,000 inmates, is the biggest jail in Latin America and one of many largest on this planet. The jail was stuffed to a couple of third of its capability as of June final yr with some 14,500 inmates.
CECOT Inmates are reportedly saved in extraordinarily cramped and harsh situations, subjected to fixed surveillance, allowed out of their cells for under half-hour per day whereas shackled.
The “iron fist” strategy to organised crime exhibited by Bukele has been repeatedly criticized by worldwide advocacy teams over alleged human rights violations and numerous abuse, together with arbitrary detention and mistreatment of the inmates. The Salvadorian president has argued that his coverage has resulted in vital discount in gang crime within the nation.
