Nayib Bukele, president of El Salvador, responded Tuesday to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s criticism of the country’s prison conditions and alleged torture, offering a bold solution to verify the claims.
Bukele Offers To Release All Prisoners But…
In an X post, Bukele said El Salvador will “cooperate fully” and proposed releasing the entire prison population to any country willing to receive them, under the condition that it includes everyone, including gang leaders.
“This would also greatly assist journalists and your favorite NGOs, who would then have thousands of former inmates available for interviews, making it far easier to find additional voices critical of the Salvadoran government,” Bukele took a jab at the critics.
Bukele said that until that happens, his government will prioritize the human rights of Salvadoran people, who he claimed are living “free from gang rule.”
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Allegations Of Abuse In ‘Brutal’ El Salvador Prison
Bukele’s response came after Clinton shared a Frontline documentary about Venezuelan men deported by the Donald Trump administration to El Salvador’s “brutal” CECOT prison, where they allegedly endured human rights violations.
Notably, Venezuelan authorities initiated an inquiry earlier this year to probe alleged human rights violations of detained Venezuelans, including sexual abuse and beatings. Bukele had refuted the accusations then.
According to Amnesty International, El Salvador’s prison situation is “alarming,” characterized by prolonged solitary confinement, extreme overcrowding, lack of timely medical care and systematic torture.
On the other hand, Elon Musk has backed Bukele’s stance on strong law enforcement and a “tough” prison system as key to reducing crime.
Trump-Era Deportations Under Scanner
Notably, Trump struck a deal with Bukele’s government for accepting custody of individuals identified as criminals by the U.S. administration. However, controversy erupted soon after Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident, was found to have been deported due to an “administrative error.”
Leading Democratic figures raised alarms after a CBS News investigation into these deportations to El Salvador was pulled, alleging political pressure from Trump allies influenced the decision.
El Salvador, under Bukele, has also made headlines because of its pioneering embrace of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC). The country adopted the digital asset as a legal tender in 2021.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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