President Bukele Proposes Prisoner Swap with Venezuela Amid Controversy

In a notable move on Sunday, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele indicated his willingness to initiate a prisoner exchange with the Venezuelan government. He proposed to release Venezuelans deported from the United States, currently held in El Salvador, in return for what he described as "political prisoners" detained in Venezuela. Bukele directed his remarks to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro via social media, lamenting that many of those imprisoned in Venezuela were merely opposing Maduro's rule and the alleged electoral fraud during last year’s elections.

The list provided by Bukele included family members of political opposition figures, journalists, and activists ensnared in Venezuela's crackdown on dissent. He emphasized the plight of these individuals, suggesting that a humane approach would entail repatriating all 252 deported Venezuelans in exchange for an equal number of prisoners held in Venezuela. Among the detainees Bukele highlighted were political figures seeking asylum and citizens from various countries, calling attention to the severity of their situations.

As part of this proposal, Bukele expressed his intention to liaise with El Salvador's foreign ministry to address the matter with the Maduro administration. This initiative comes on the heels of significant criticism aimed at El Salvador for its treatment of individuals deported from the U.S., particularly those labeled as gang members without solid evidence. Bukele's administration has been noted for its strict handling of crime, exemplified by the construction of a massive prison designed to confine those accused of gang affiliations.

Furthermore, the issue has garnered national attention, with El Salvador's archbishop urging the president to consider the implications of transforming the country into what he termed an "international prison." Despite the backlash, Bukele has defended his government's actions by asserting that those incarcerated are intertwined with efforts to combat gangs like the Tren de Aragua in the United States.