El Salvador's Bukele proposes Venezuela prisoner swap controversy

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has proposed a prisoner swap with Venezuela, offering to repatriate 252 Venezuelan deportees from the US who are being held in El Salvador in exchange for Venezuela releasing the same number of political prisoners. Bukele accused the deportees of serious crimes like rape and murder, while saying the Venezuelan prisoners were jailed for opposing President Nicolás Maduro. Venezuela's chief prosecutor criticized the proposal, questioning the deportees' alleged crimes and access to legal counsel, while also denying that Venezuela holds political prisoners.

El Salvador's top Catholic leader, Archbishop Jose Luis Escobar, urged President Nayib Bukele not to turn the country into a "big international prison" after Bukele agreed to house deported migrants from the US in a notorious jail. Escobar warned that El Salvador could become a "new Guantanamo" and that the country should not allow itself to be used as a prison for the US to send prisoners at a lower cost. The US has been deporting migrants, including non-violent ones, to El Salvador, where they are being held in inhumane conditions in a mega-prison.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has proposed a prisoner exchange with Venezuela, offering to repatriate 252 Venezuelans deported from the US in exchange for an identical number of "political prisoners" held in Venezuela, including family members of opposition leaders and journalists. Venezuela's General Attorney responded by asking for the names and medical status of the Venezuelans held in El Salvador's mega prison, Cecot, and accused El Salvador's government of breaching their human rights. The Venezuelans in Cecot are said to be members of gangs, but officials have provided scant evidence to support this claim.

The deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man, has become a pivotal moment in US history, testing Donald Trump's mass expulsion program and the Democrats' ability to counter on immigration. Abrego Garcia was deported despite a judge's ruling that he couldn't be sent back to El Salvador due to potential danger to his life. The administration admitted the deportation was an administrative error but refuses to return him, arguing they lack the power to force El Salvador to comply. The White House claims Abrego Garcia is a terrorist and MS-13 gang member, but has not produced definitive evidence. The case has sparked a constitutional clash, with Democrats arguing it exemplifies a "lawless president" ignoring court orders. The Supreme Court may need to intervene, having already temporarily blocked the administration from deporting a group of immigrants in Texas under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. The case has implications for hundreds of other undocumented migrants claimed to be terrorists and gang members, and could determine the limits of presidential power.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele proposed a deal to repatriate 252 Venezuelans deported from the US in exchange for Venezuela releasing 252 political prisoners, including opposition members and nearly 50 foreign nationals, such as Americans. The Venezuelans were sent to El Salvador as part of a US effort to deport individuals accused of gang affiliations. Venezuela's attorney general responded by demanding the immediate release of the Venezuelans and requesting proof of life and medical reports for each detainee.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has proposed a prisoner swap with Venezuela, offering to send 252 Venezuelans deported from the US and currently imprisoned in El Salvador in exchange for "political prisoners" held by Venezuela, including journalist Roland Carreno and human rights lawyer Rocio San Miguel. Venezuela's chief prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, denounced the proposal as "cynical" and accused El Salvador of unlawfully detaining the Venezuelans, demanding to know the charges against them and whether they had access to legal counsel. The Venezuelan government has denied holding political prisoners, while non-governmental organizations claim over 800 people are detained for political reasons.

Cesar Hernandez, a 34-year-old California inmate serving 80 years to life for first-degree murder, was arrested in Tijuana, Mexico after a week-long manhunt. Hernandez had escaped from custody in December and was wanted for the April 9 shooting death of Abigail Esparza Reyes, the 33-year-old leader of an elite Mexican police unit known as "Gringo Hunters." Reyes was killed during a shootout while attempting to arrest Hernandez, who is now facing criminal proceedings in Mexico.

Cesar Hernandez, a 34-year-old California inmate who escaped from custody in December, was arrested in Tijuana, Mexico, by the State Investigation Agency. Hernandez was wanted for killing Abigail Esparza Reyes, the 33-year-old leader of the "Gringo Hunters," an elite Mexican police unit, during a shootout on April 9. Hernandez was serving 80 years to life in California for first-degree murder before his escape and is now facing criminal proceedings in Mexico.