Over 250 Venezuelan migrants, recently repatriated from El Salvador, allegedly suffered torture in detention, prompting an investigation into the conditions of their confinement.
Venezuela Launches Investigation into Alleged Torture of Migrants in El Salvador's CECOT Prison
Venezuela Launches Investigation into Alleged Torture of Migrants in El Salvador's CECOT Prison
Venezuelan authorities respond to claims that migrants deported from the U.S. endured severe human rights abuses while detained in El Salvador.
Venezuela has initiated an investigation following alarming allegations that over 250 migrants deported from the United States to an El Salvador prison faced egregious human rights violations. The group, which had been held in El Salvador's notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) since March, returned to near Caracas on Friday after being detained for four months.
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab claimed during a press briefing that there was "systemic torture" occurring within the prison, including incidents of sexual abuse, frequent beatings, and inadequate food supplies. According to Saab's presentation, testimonies and images were shared that purportedly depict detainees with visible injuries such as bruises and missing teeth. However, these assertions have not been independently corroborated by news outlets like the BBC.
In response to the allegations, Venezuela is expanding its investigation into the actions of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, as well as the country's Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro, and Head of Prisons Osiris Luna Meza. Saab has also called for international bodies, including the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Human Rights Council, to pursue similar inquiries.
This situation unfolds against a backdrop of ongoing scrutiny within Venezuela itself. The country is currently under investigation by the International Criminal Court for similar allegations of torture and obstruction of legal representation within its own borders.
The group of Venezuelans confronted deportation under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, which allows for the removal of nationals from designated "enemy" nations without standard legal channels. Accusations of gang affiliation have been levied against the migrants, a claim that many relatives and representatives dispute.
The detainees were originally imprisoned in the CECOT, a facility notorious for housing alleged gang members. Reports indicate that they lacked access to legal counsel or contact with family, and were last observed in government-released footage showing them arriving in handcuffs with shaven heads. This documentation has incited widespread condemnation globally.
The migrants were ultimately freed in mid-July as part of a diplomatic exchange for U.S. nationals held in Venezuela, with officials from the Trump administration expressing profound gratitude to Bukele for his role in the agreement. Furthermore, the U.S. has enacted stringent sanctions against Venezuela, and recent Supreme Court rulings could jeopardize Temporary Protected Status for around 350,000 Venezuelan migrants, heightening concerns around their legal protections and safety.
