El Salvador's Mega-Prison: Holding US Deportees Without Trial

El Salvador's Mega-Prison: CECOT

• 🇸🇻 CECOT, or Terrorism Confinement Center, is a mega-prison in El Salvador opened in February 2023.
• 🎯 It's part of President Naib Bukele's security policy, which has led to a sharp drop in homicides.
• 💰 The facility reportedly cost $115 million and can hold up to 40,000 inmates, making it one of Latin America's largest.

Conditions and Human Rights Concerns

• ⛓️ Prisoners are held tightly packed with shaved heads, lacking outdoor recreational areas and family visits.
• 📏 A 2024 report highlighted overcrowding, with inmates having an average of 6.45 square feet of space, below international standards.
• ⚠️ Human rights organizations have raised concerns about violations including torture, inmate deaths, and mass trials.

US Deportations and El Salvador's Role

• 🤝 President Bukele offered to house criminals deported from the US, and has agreed to accept them.
• 🇺🇸 The US government, under the Trump administration, deported 261 individuals to El Salvador starting March 15th.
• ⚖️ The US justified some deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, citing alleged membership in the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, with limited details provided.
• 💸 The US reportedly paid El Salvador approximately $6 million to receive these deportees.