Over 250 Venezuelans returned home near Caracas on Friday after enduring four months in El Salvador's infamous CECOT prison. Venezuela is now probing severe allegations of human rights abuses, including "systemic torture," as claimed by Attorney General Tarek William Saab. He unveiled harrowing testimonies of sexual abuse, daily beatings, and spoiled food within the facility.
Amidst these allegations, El Salvador remains silent. Saab displayed images highlighting detainees’ injuries like bruising and missing teeth, though these claims lack independent verification. The Venezuelan investigation will scrutinize El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele and other high-ranking officials, urging international bodies like the ICC and the UN to join.
The detained were deported in March from the U.S. under a controversial law permitting the exclusion of individuals from "enemy" nations, accused of gang affiliations—a claim denounced by many families. Held without legal counsel in CECOT, a prison originally designed for gang members, the detainees were publicly paraded in handcuffs and with shaved heads, igniting global outrage.
Release came in mid-July as a part of negotiations involving U.S. nationals held in Venezuela, with a senior Trump official commending Bukele's assistance. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues heavy sanctions on Venezuela, recently affecting 350,000 people by potentially revoking their Temporary Protected Status.
