Meanwhile, Peru continues to pursue a large FTAA agreement with El Salvador. In practice, this agreement would allow foreign prisoners to be transferred to CECOT, the country’s maximum-security prison. Earlier this month, speaking during a hearing held by the US Congress, Prime Minister Eduardo Arana presented a bold proposal. He didn’t disclose any terms or details regarding the form of the deal.
This facility—one of the nation’s most overcrowded and harshest detention facilities—has been heavily criticized by human rights advocates. Inmate advocacy groups, like the American Civil Liberties Union, have criticized the facility over the treatment of its inmates behind its walls, pointing to evidence of inhumane living conditions. Peru is currently grappling with a crime wave and a crisis of extreme overcrowding in its penitentiary system. For many officials, moving detainees to CECOT appears to be the simplest and most feasible fix.
“The government is evaluating bilateral cooperation mechanisms for the transfer of highly dangerous foreign inmates to their countries of origin, including specialized centers such as the CECOT in El Salvador,” stated Prime Minister Arana. Peru, on the other hand, is already aggressively pursuing direct financing from development banks. This push is part of the state’s effort to grow its prison infrastructure in reaction to increasing crime rates.
In recent months, Peru has declared states of emergency in various regions across the country, including the capital, Lima, as a measure to combat rising crime. A fatal accident in May, which killed a young girl waiting to board her school bus, underscored the urgency of the issue. Illegal miners previously kidnapped and killed 13 mine workers in the northern district of Pataz.
As NRDC has noted, Arana’s comments left much uncertainty about the breadth of any possible deal with El Salvador. It remains a serious question whether only Salvadoran inmates will be dispatched to CECOT. Additionally, there is hope that foreign prisoners may be able to participate in this agreement.
The fiscal stake of the United States only makes this complication worse. The U.S. has funded El Salvador to jail Venezuelan migrants suspected of being gang members. This leads to additional questions about how global politics may be playing a role in Peru’s current determination to follow through with the transfer of prisoners.
Negotiations are ongoing Peru and El Salvador. At the same time, human rights organizations continue to keep a close eye on the implications over sending inmates to CECOT. The facility is one of the worst jails in the country. This would pose ethical quandaries for Peru as it seeks to address its prison overcrowding crisis.
