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SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador has put forth a proposal to negotiate a prisoner exchange with Venezuela. This initiative involves trading Venezuelan nationals deported from the United States by Bukele’s administration, whom he refers to as “political prisoners,” for those detained in Venezuela.
In a recent post on the social media platform X aimed at Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Bukele enumerated the names of family members associated with prominent opposition figures, journalists, and activists who were arrested during Venezuela’s recent electoral disputes.
“The sole reason these individuals are behind bars is their opposition to you and your fraudulent elections,” Bukele communicated to Maduro. “I propose a humanitarian agreement that ensures the repatriation of all 252 Venezuelans who have been deported, in return for the release and handover of an equal number of the political prisoners you are currently holding.”
Among the individuals he mentioned were the son-in-law of former presidential contender Edmundo González, several political leaders residing in the Argentine embassy in Venezuela seeking asylum, and claims of 50 detained citizens from various countries.
He also noted the mother of opposition leader María Corina Machado, who has stated that her residence was surrounded by police in January.
Bukele indicated his intention to have El Salvador’s foreign ministry communicate with the government of Maduro, which has yet to respond to his declaration.
This proposal arises amid rising international concern regarding El Salvador’s treatment of Venezuelans and Salvadorans deported under the Trump administration, which labeled them as potential gang members largely without significant justification. Many deportees are held at a large facility known as the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a prison constructed by Bukele’s administration as part of his aggressive approach against gangs.
The situation garnered further attention following the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father married to a U.S. citizen, who was among those deported, leading to ongoing legal disputes regarding his return.
On Sunday, El Salvador’s archbishop, José Luis Escobar Alas, urged Bukele to avoid turning the nation into a “big international prison.”
Despite these challenges, Bukele asserted that all detainees in the facility are involved in operations against gangs like Tren de Aragua operating in the United States.
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