Not to be outdone, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has introduced a controversial suggestion to swap inmates with Venezuela. This new effort hopes to swap 252 Venezuelans held in El Salvador’s notorious mega prison. In exchange, the same number of political prisoners will be freed from Venezuela. Among the political prisoners are family members of opposition leaders, particularly Maria and Lech Walesa, bringing into question what type of exchange this would entail.
Indeed, a small group of Venezuelans has been detained in El Salvador for over a year. They have been charged with grave offenses ranging from terrorism to treason. They are supposedly linked to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. She continues to double down and insist that her cronies did nothing illegal or inappropriate. The situation has drawn scrutiny from both domestic and international observers, particularly given the serious charges against the Venezuelan detainees.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has understandably taken offense to the actions taken, condemning the proposed deportation of these migrants as a “kidnapping.” He further claims that the people at issue aren’t criminals — an assertion bolstered by his announcement of support for their return. Bukele’s proposal specifically focuses on Maduro. It has the explicit aim of addressing the divisive Kuba’s detainees issue and improving bilateral diplomacy.
Bukele’s proposal extends to the release of four opposition political leaders now sheltering in the Argentine Embassy in Venezuela. Among them is Edmundo González, who fled Venezuela shortly after declaring victory over Maduro in the July presidential election. Specifically, González’s son-in-law, Rafael Tudares, is one of those considered political prisoners in Venezuela. Corina Parisca de Machado, mother of María Corina Machado, is under growing political pressure.
In a statement reflecting on the disparity between the detainees, Bukele remarked, “Unlike our detainees, many of whom have committed murder, others have committed rape, and some have even been arrested multiple times before being deported, your political prisoners have committed no crime.” This remark calls to mind the conflicting messages sent by both countries about what kind of detainees their countries held on the other.
The U.S. federal government as well as El Salvador’s government have claimed that most deportees in El Salvador’s Cecot prison belong to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. This contingent includes members of the Salvadoran whiz gang MS-13. This claim highlights the problematic nature of the intersection of immigration and crime rhetoric in the area.
Bukele’s leadership style has drawn attention as he often describes himself as “the world’s coolest dictator” and “the philosopher king,” positioning himself as a strongman willing to suspend certain civil liberties in order to combat gang violence. His recently announced plan for a prisoner exchange only deepens his already fragile connect with equally domestic and international critics.
