El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele seen before a meeting at Costa Rica's presidential residence in San Jose on November 11, 2024. CNN
President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador has proposed a prisoner swap with Venezuela. He suggested sending back hundreds of Venezuelans deported from the United States in exchange for what he calls “political prisoners” held by the Venezuelan government.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Bukele offered to send 252 Venezuelans detained in El Salvador’s massive prison in exchange for an equal number of political prisoners. These prisoners, according to Bukele, include opposition leaders and their families. Bukele emphasized that many of the detainees in El Salvador have committed serious crimes such as murder and rape, unlike Venezuela’s political prisoners, who are imprisoned simply for opposing the government and its alleged electoral fraud.
The Venezuelan government, led by President Nicolás Maduro, has denied that the deported Venezuelans are criminals. They have instead called the deportations a “kidnapping.” According to officials, these deported individuals are members of the Tren de Aragua gang and the MS-13 Salvadoran gang, but they have not provided clear evidence to support these claims.
Venezuela’s Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, responded to Bukele’s offer by demanding a list of the names and medical status of all the Venezuelans detained in El Salvador. Saab accused the Salvadoran government of violating the human rights of these individuals.
In his post, Bukele also named specific political prisoners in Venezuela, such as Rafael Tudares, the son-in-law of exiled opposition leader Edmundo González. González claimed he won the July presidential election in Venezuela but fled the country after Maduro’s inauguration. Bukele also mentioned Corina Parisca de Machado, the mother of opposition leader María Corina Machado, who he says faces political pressure.
Bukele’s proposal includes swapping four political leaders who have sought refuge in the Argentine Embassy in Venezuela. These leaders have been accused of treason and terrorism due to their support for María Corina Machado. These asylum seekers claim that they are trapped inside the embassy, surrounded by Venezuelan security forces. The embassy is under constant surveillance, with checkpoints controlling who enters and leaves, though the building itself has not been raided.
The proposed swap also includes journalist Roland Carreño, lawyer and activist Rocío San Miguel, and nearly 50 other detainees from various countries, including the United States.
This proposal comes at a time when El Salvador faces criticism for accepting hundreds of migrants deported by the U.S. These migrants are often labeled as gang members or violent criminals. Bukele, who has gained both popularity and criticism for his hardline approach to crime, has positioned himself as a strong leader willing to suspend certain civil liberties in order to fight gang violence. His tough stance has earned him the nickname “the world’s coolest dictator.”
Despite international human rights concerns about his methods, Bukele remains widely popular in El Salvador. He won re-election last year in a landslide victory, showcasing his strong political influence.
