Relatives of deported Venezuelans arrive in El Salvador and demand ‘proof of life’ from Bukele

A delegation of relatives and friends of Venezuelans deported from the United States and imprisoned in Nayib Bukele’s mega-prison arrived in El Salvador on Monday to demand “proof of life” and to enquire about the detainees’ health status. Members of the delegation include Lisbeth Johana Sanguino, aunt of Widmer Sanguino, who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee, and Reina Cárdenas, a friend of Andry Hernández Romero, a renowned stylist who was processing his asylum application at the time of his deportation.

The delegation arrived with a legal document representing four families of deportees from Táchira, a Venezuelan state bordering Colombia. However, they stated that they speak for all the families of the 238 Venezuelan nationals imprisoned in the Central American country since March 15. All of them have been accused of belonging to the Tren de Aragua criminal organization, although U.S. authorities, human rights groups and journalism investigations have confirmed that many are simply undocumented migrants. According to an investigation conducted by the Salvadoran NGO Cristosal, of the total number of Venezuelans held at the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot) in El Salvador, only 13% had a criminal record.

Walter Márquez, a former Venezuelan congressman (1999-2004) and now a human rights defender, led the delegation that showed up on Tuesday afternoon at the General Directorate of Penitentiary Centers in San Salvador to present a letter containing their demands. In the letter, which EL PAÍS has had access to, the group requests proof that their relatives are alive, seeks to verify their health status, requests information about their legal status, and demands their immediate release. Members noted that they had to raise funds on their own to travel.

“We are here to demand that President Bukele grant us the right to visit. Officially, it’s not clear whether they are in there or not, because the government has declared that information secret,” Márquez said in a phone call with EL PAÍS. “We have asked the International Red Cross to help us verify their health status.”

As of Tuesday night, no Salvadoran authority had made any public statements regarding the presence of the Venezuelans, who appeared to have arrived on their own. The delegation confirmed that they are being advised by a group of Salvadoran lawyers, but preferred to keep the latter’s names anonymous “due to the persecution in this country,” according to Márquez. In recent weeks, the Bukele administration has cracked down on human rights organizations and arrested several of their leaders.

The Venezuelan activist stated that they will be in the country all week seeking help from all possible agencies. “We have already gone to the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office in El Salvador, and we are going to the Apostolic Nunciature in San Salvador to request the Pope’s assistance in this case.”

For her part, Johana Sanguino said she is very concerned about “his emotional state, his health,” referring to her nephew. “He suffers from asthma and was already undergoing psychological distress.” She also considered the situation of the incarcerated families to be very critical. “Days and nights merge with each other. We live in a state of uncertainty, not knowing how they are doing,” she said.

Cecot, a black hole

Since its creation in January 2023, the Terrorism Confinement Center has become the most popular prison in Latin America, not only for the Hollywood-style audiovisual productions released by the Bukele government, but also for the tours that authorities have provided to YouTubers and content creators. However, information about it is, in reality, almost nonexistent.

To date, it is unclear exactly how many prisoners are held in the mega-prison, which has a capacity for 40,000 inmates. Nor is it known what percentage of those incarcerated are serving a sentence. Interviews conducted by some journalists selected by the government have taken place under the watchful eye of guards or the presidential communications team. There is no access for independent human rights organizations, much less visits from lawyers or family members. What happens inside Cecot, stays inside Cecot.

During the three years of El Salvador’s state of emergency, human rights organizations have documented hundreds of cases of torture, ranging from prolonged exposure to the sun, beatings, asphyxiation, and electric shocks. More than 400 deaths in state custody have also been documented, many with signs of torture. However, all of these cases have come from medium-security prisons. To date, not a single case has been documented that describes what happens inside Cecot.

Since the 238 deported Venezuelans arrived at Cecot, nothing more has been heard about them, either officially or unofficially, except that they are being held in separate cells from the Barrio 18 and MS-13 gang members, the two Salvadoran gangs for whom the prison was originally built. Two U.S. congressmen have attempted to gain entry on different occasions, but have been unsuccessful.

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