President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador has proposed a prisoner swap with Venezuela. On Sunday, he suggested exchanging 252 Venezuelans, who were deported from the United States and are now jailed in El Salvador, for political prisoners held in Venezuela.
Bukele Sends Message to Maduro
He shared this proposal on X (formerly Twitter). In his message to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, he said, “Release 252 of the political prisoners you are holding.”
However, Bukele did not say whether these exchanged prisoners would remain in jail or be released.
No Response from Venezuela
Until now, Venezuela’s Ministry of Communication has not made any statement. President Maduro also hasn’t reacted publicly to the proposal.
Bukele Mentions Specific Names
Meanwhile, Bukele named several people he wants Venezuela to free. These include, Journalist Roland Carreño, Human rights lawyer Rocío San Miguel, Corina Parisca de Machado, mother of opposition leader María Corina Machado. In addition, he mentioned that Corina often faces threats at her home. He also included around 50 prisoners from various countries such as the United States, Germany, and France.
US Envoy Supports the Move
Soon after the post, US Special Envoy Adam Boehler expressed his support. He confirmed that 10 Americans were among the people listed in the proposal.
Proposal Will Be Sent Formally
Bukele said that his Foreign Ministry would send the plan to Venezuela through diplomatic channels. This step will make the proposal official.
Deportations Created Tension
Previously, in March, the Trump administration deported over 200 Venezuelans from the US to El Salvador. They accused the deported people of being part of the Tren de Aragua gang.
As part of this move, the US agreed to pay El Salvador $6 million to keep the migrants in a high-security jail called the Terrorism Confinement Center.
Rights Groups Dispute the Claims
However, Venezuela insists it does not hold political prisoners. Officials argue that those in jail were convicted of real crimes. On the other hand, human rights groups disagree. They claim that more than 800 people in Venezuela are jailed for political reasons. Furthermore, Venezuela has denied that the deported migrants are part of criminal groups. Lawyers and families of the detainees also said the same.
US Supreme Court Blocks More Deportations
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the US Supreme Court temporarily stopped more deportations. The Trump administration had planned to deport another group of Venezuelans under a rare wartime law. After the ACLU filed an emergency request, the court issued a stay to delay the action. In response, the Trump administration asked the court to reject the appeal but agreed to wait while the court reviews the case.
Finally, White House officials said that President Trump is committed to immigration enforcement. However, they also made it clear that the government will follow the court’s order.