Venezuela's Attorney General announced an investigation into reported human rights abuses of over 250 repatriated migrants who spent four months in El Salvador's CECOT prison. The claims include torture and lack of legal representation. El Salvador's government has yet to respond.
Venezuela Launches Investigation into Allegations of Torture of Migrants in El Salvador
Venezuela Launches Investigation into Allegations of Torture of Migrants in El Salvador
Following the repatriation of over 250 Venezuelan migrants, claims of systemic abuse during their detention in El Salvador prompt an official inquiry by Venezuelan authorities.
Venezuela has initiated a formal investigation into allegations of human rights abuses against over 250 migrants who were deported from the United States and subsequently detained in El Salvador. These individuals were repatriated to Caracas after spending four months in El Salvador's infamous Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab reported during a press briefing that the detainees experienced "systemic torture," which he claims included sexual abuse, beatings, and being fed substandard food. While Saab provided testimonies and photographs purportedly showing individuals with injuries, these accusations have not been independently verified.
The El Salvadoran government, led by President Nayib Bukele, has yet to respond to these serious claims. Saab has called upon the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN Human Rights Council to take similar steps in probing the matter.
Notably, Venezuela itself is currently under investigation by the ICC for allegations of torture and the obstruction of legal representation for prisoners, mirroring the accusations now surfacing against El Salvador.
The Venezuelans in question were deported under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, which allows for the detention and deportation of individuals from nations considered "enemies." They were accused of gang associations, an assertion disputed by family members and attorneys representing the detainees.
Their confinement took place in a facility primarily designed for accused criminals, and they did not have access to legal counsel or family visits. Images released by Bukele's government showed the detainees arriving in handcuffs with shaven heads, triggering significant outcry from human rights organizations globally.
The group was released in mid-July as part of a prisoner swap deal with the United States, for which senior officials expressed deep appreciation to President Bukele. The ongoing tension between the United States and Venezuela is exacerbated by heavy sanctions imposed against the latter, with the Supreme Court recently ruling that the Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelan nationals could be revoked, potentially affecting around 350,000 individuals.
