El Salvador’s arcibishop protests: No to "international prison"
The Catholic Archbishop of El Salvador, Jose Luis Escobar Alas, has appealed to the country's president, Nayib Bukele, urging him not to transform it into "a big international prison." This plea relates to Bukele's agreement to detain citizens of El Salvador and Venezuela, deported from the U.S., in the largest prison in his country and the entire region.
What do you need to know?
- Archbishop Jose Luis Escobar Alas has appealed to President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador to stop transforming the country into an "international prison."
- Deported citizens from the U.S., specifically from El Salvador and Venezuela, are being held in the Central Prison for Convicted Terrorists, which has faced criticism from human rights organizations.
- The agreement with the U.S. was reached in February, allowing the deportation of migrants regardless of their nationality.
Why is El Salvador accepting deportees from the U.S.?
Archbishop Jose Luis Escobar Alas expressed his concerns during a press conference, calling on President Bukele to reconsider the policy on detaining people deported from the U.S.
The Central Prison for Convicted Terrorists, established by Bukele's government, serves as the detention facility for those deported from the U.S. As of March 15th, three groups of migrants have been admitted, including both Venezuelans and Salvadorans, amounting to 290 people. The agreement on this arrangement was finalized in February during a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Bukele.
What are the consequences for El Salvador?
The decision to accept deported migrants has been criticized by international human rights organizations, which view the prison as a site of "inhumane" persecution. Bukele's agreement to accept migrants regardless of their nationality is controversial, especially amidst accusations regarding membership in dangerous criminal organizations like Mara Salvatrucha.
During a press conference about the "mega-prison," Archbishop Escobar Alas commented on the practice of directing migrants deported from the U.S. to this facility, stating: "It is not in the interest of any country to be a prison for other countries. We must fight for our country to be respected so we can live in peace."
