El Salvador Proposes Prisoner Exchange with Venezuela Amid U.S. Deportations

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has laid out a proposal to return 252 Venezuelan deportees from the U.S. in exchange for the same number of political prisoners held by Venezuela.

In a bold move, President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador has put forth an offer to repatriate 252 Venezuelan nationals recently deported from the United States, proposing a direct exchange with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for the release of an equal number of political detainees. Bukele's offer came via a social media post, where he claimed that many of the deported individuals, accused of serious crimes such as murder and rape, had received a fair legal process. In contrast, he said that the political prisoners in Venezuela are incarcerated solely for opposing Maduro's controversial regime.

Venezuela's chief prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, quickly responded, challenging Bukele's claims and seeking clarification on the alleged crimes of the deported individuals, as well as their legal representation. Saab dismissed the notion of political prisoners in Venezuela, a stance that has been widely criticized by international human rights organizations. Bukele proposed a “humanitarian agreement” that would allow for the repatriation of all 252 deported Venezuelans, in return for the release of a corresponding number of political prisoners.

The backdrop of this negotiation is heightened by the U.S. government's recent actions. Over 200 Venezuelans were deported to El Salvador, many of whom were implicated by the Trump administration as members of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang. The U.S. is financially supporting El Salvador to maintain these deportees in its notorious high-security Terrorism Confinement Center.

The exchange proposal follows Maduro's condemnation of U.S. deportations, which he characterized as "kidnapping" and a violation of human rights. Amid legal challenges to Trump's strict immigration policies, the U.S. Supreme Court recently compelled Washington to halt further deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members, as the President leverages the Alien Enemies Act to facilitate these actions.