Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced an investigation into El Salvador‘s President Nayib Bukele and senior officials over alleged torture and abuse of 252 Venezuelan migrants deported from the United States. The migrants reportedly suffered beatings, sexual abuse, and inhumane living conditions while held in El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison.
“We intend to thoroughly investigate these allegations and ensure justice is served,” Saab emphasized, urging the International Criminal Court and UN Human Rights Council to take action. The Venezuelan prosecutor’s office collected video testimonies and photos from the returned migrants, detailing their ordeal.
Andry Hernandez Romero, a 32-year-old beautician among the deportees, shared his harrowing experience. “We were going through torture, physical aggressions, psychological aggressions,” he said. “I was sexually abused.” Other migrants described being held in inhumane cells, denied medical care, and fed rotten food.
The deportations were carried out under the Trump administration’s crackdown on alleged gang members, invoking the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. However, human rights groups and lawyers for the migrants argue that the deportations lacked due process and that many of the men had no gang ties.
In response to the allegations, Bukele’s office has not commented on the abuse claims. However, Bukele did post on social media about the prisoner swap, stating, “The Maduro regime was satisfied with the swap deal; that’s why they accepted it.” President Nicolas Maduro accused Bukele of attempting to prevent the migrants’ release, claiming he put a car on the runway to block the plane.
The investigation into Bukele and El Salvador’s Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro and Head of Prisons Osiris Luna Meza highlights the strained relations between Venezuela and El Salvador over human rights concerns. Venezuela itself faces an investigation by the ICC over similar allegations of torturing prisoners and denying them access to legal representation.