- El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele offered to swap 252 detained Venezuelans for political prisoners and foreign nationals held in Venezuela. He framed the deal as a humanitarian gesture aimed at freeing opposition figures and journalists.
- Venezuela pushed back, demanding legal records and accusing El Salvador of violating human rights.
- The U.S. has backed El Salvador’s detentions, but courts recently paused further deportations amid legal and political backlash.
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El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele offered to return 252 Venezuelans detained in his country in exchange for the release of an equal number of people held in Venezuela, including opposition figures, journalists and foreign nationals.
Bukele described the prisoner swap as a humanitarian proposal and claimed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government imprisoned the detainees for political reasons.
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Who are the detainees included in the proposal?
U.S. authorities deported Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador, where Bukele’s administration currently holds them in a high-security prison. U.S. officials claimed the migrants have ties to the Tren de Aragua gang, though lawyers and family members have disputed those allegations.
Señor @NicolasMaduro, usted ha dicho en numerosas ocasiones que quiere a los venezolanos de regreso y en libertad.
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) April 20, 2025
A diferencia de usted, que tiene presos políticos, nosotros no tenemos presos políticos. Todos los venezolanos que tenemos bajo custodia fueron detenidos en el…
In return, Bukele asked Venezuela to release individuals such as journalist Roland Carreno, lawyer Rocio San Miguel and relatives of opposition leader María Corina Machado. He also cited nearly 50 detainees of other nationalities, including U.S. citizens.
How did Venezuela respond to the proposal?
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab criticized the swap proposal, according to Le Monde, labeling it “cynical.” He demanded a list of the detained Venezuelans, their legal status and medical reports. Saab also called the migrants “kidnapped” and accused El Salvador of violating international human rights laws.
What role has the US played in the controversy?
The U.S. deported at least 200 Venezuelans to El Salvador under a policy aimed at cracking down on alleged gang activity. According to multiple reports, the U.S. paid El Salvador $6 million to detain the migrants.
The Trump administration has supported the detentions, while the U.S. Supreme Court recently paused further deportations following legal challenges.
What broader political tensions are involved?
Bukele’s proposal comes amid increased scrutiny of El Salvador’s role in detaining migrants for the U.S. and the controversial use of its mega-prison. Venezuela denied it holds political prisoners and claimed it lawfully convicted those in custody.
Human rights groups, however, reported that authorities have jailed hundreds for opposing Maduro. U.S. lawmakers and international critics have raised concerns about the legality and transparency of the deportations and detentions.
