Bukele Challenges Clinton on Salvadoran Prison Conditions Amid Deportation Controversy

El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has offered a pointed response to former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding allegations about conditions at the country’s maximum-security prison, which has become a focal point in ongoing immigration debates.

Clinton recently shared an 11-minute PBS Frontline documentary titled “Surviving CECOT” on social media platform X, writing: “Curious to learn more about CECOT? Hear Juan, Andry, and Wilmer share firsthand how the Trump administration branded them as gang members without evidence and deported them to the brutal El Salvadoran prison.”

The documentary features three Venezuelan men—Juan José Ramos Ramos, Andry Blanco Bonilla, and Wilmer Vega Sandia—who claim they were wrongfully identified as members of the notorious Tren de Aragua gang by U.S. authorities before being deported to El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).

Bukele’s response was both diplomatic and provocative. “We are willing to release our entire prison population (including all gang leaders and all those described as ‘political prisoners’) to any country willing to receive them,” he wrote. “The only condition is straightforward: it must be everyone.”

The Salvadoran president further suggested this would benefit journalists and non-governmental organizations by providing them with “thousands of former inmates available for interviews,” making it easier to find voices critical of his government. He added that if the testimonies in the documentary reflect systemic problems, “a much larger pool of sources should only reinforce the claim, and many governments should be eager to offer protection.”

Until such an arrangement materializes, Bukele affirmed that El Salvador would “continue prioritizing the human rights of the millions of Salvadorans who today live free from gang rule.”

CECOT has gained international attention for its strict conditions and has become central to immigration policies between the United States and El Salvador. The prison houses many of the country’s gang members and has recently begun receiving migrants deported from the U.S., particularly Venezuelan nationals deemed to be gang members whom Venezuela refuses to accept.

Bukele has strengthened his relationship with former President Donald Trump through this arrangement. The deportation program has sparked significant controversy, with human rights organizations raising concerns about due process and detention conditions.

The debate took a significant turn this week when a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to provide due process to a class of Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador in March. The judge gave the administration two weeks to detail its compliance plans, setting up what analysts describe as another high-stakes confrontation between the White House and federal courts.

The judge’s order comes amid increasing scrutiny of CECOT’s conditions and the process by which migrants are identified as gang members. Critics argue that some deportees are falsely labeled as gang affiliates without sufficient evidence or opportunity to challenge the designations.

El Salvador has undergone a dramatic transformation under Bukele’s leadership, with the president gaining popularity for his tough-on-crime approach that has significantly reduced gang violence in a country once considered among the world’s most dangerous. However, human rights organizations have questioned the methods used to achieve this security improvement.

This latest exchange between Bukele and Clinton highlights the complex intersection of immigration policy, international relations, and human rights concerns that continues to challenge policymakers in both countries.