El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s offer to house “dangerous American criminals” and “criminals from any country” has been met with criticism over the country’s notorious prison system. The newly built mega-prison, which can hold up to 40,000 inmates, is already overcrowded, with each prisoner facing less than 2 feet of space in their cells.
The transfer of US deportees from Venezuela to El Salvador has sparked concerns over human rights abuses. The individuals were flown into the country despite a judge’s order temporarily blocking the move. Bukele later posted a video showing the deportees arriving at the prison with their hands and feet shackled, sparking outrage among experts who have documented widespread human rights abuses in El Salvador.
According to human rights organizations, including Cristosal and Amnesty International, systemic use of torture has been reported in Salvadoran prisons. The country’s democratic norms have eroded under Bukele’s self-imposed “state of exception,” which allows him to suspend many rights as he wages a “war on gangs.” This has led to mass arbitrary arrests, with El Salvador now having the highest incarceration rate in the world.
The US administration’s decision to transfer deportees to El Salvador has raised serious concerns over its commitment to international human rights standards. Critics argue that the country does not meet the necessary terms to protect the human rights of deported and incarcerated migrants. The government’s repeated accusations by rights groups of committing crimes against humanity, including against its prison population, have further raised eyebrows.
The situation is particularly worrying due to the scale of potential abuse. With over 110,000 prisoners in El Salvador, each facing severe overcrowding and inadequate living conditions, the country’s prison system poses a significant risk to human life. The international community must take notice of this alarming development and pressure Bukele’s government to address these grave human rights concerns.
Source: https://theconversation.com/beatings-overcrowding-and-food-deprivation-us-deportees-face-distressing-human-rights-conditions-in-el-salvadors-mega-prison-250739