Venezuela accuses El Salvador of human trafficking as prisoners caught in row between authoritarians

Venezuela Accuses El Salvador President Bukele of Human Trafficking Amid Migrant Dispute

In a diplomatic row escalating over Venezuelan migrants, Venezuela’s top prosecutor has leveled accusations of “tyrannical” human trafficking against El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele. The accusation follows Nayib Bukele’s controversial offer to exchange 252 Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration for an equal number of political prisoners held in Venezuela.

Bukele Proposes Prisoner Swap with Maduro

On Sunday evening, Bukele addressed a message directly to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, proposing a contentious deal. He suggested a “humanitarian agreement” entailing the complete repatriation of all 252 Venezuelans deported to El Salvador. In return, Bukele demanded the release and transfer of the same quantity of political prisoners, estimated to be thousands, currently detained by the Maduro regime.

Venezuela Rejects Offer, Slams Bukele as “Neo-Nazi”

Venezuela swiftly rejected the proposal. Attorney General Tarek William Saab, a prominent ally of Maduro, delivered a televised address denouncing Bukele’s offer as “cynical.” Saab alleged that Bukele’s proposition revealed him to be a narcissistic “neo-Nazi” who had “kidnapped” over 250 Venezuelan migrants. These individuals, Saab stated, were sent to a high-security prison in El Salvador by the Trump administration starting in mid-March.

Accusations of Human Rights Abuses Mount

Saab intensified his criticism, labeling Bukele a “serial human rights violator.” He cited Bukele’s “horrifying” three-year crackdown on gangs in El Salvador, during which at least 85,000 Salvadorans have been imprisoned, many without due process. Human rights organizations report that over 360 inmates have died in custody during this period.

Venezuelan Opposition Divided on Bukele’s Proposal

Despite the strong condemnation from Venezuela’s government, Bukele’s proposal has elicited varied reactions within the Venezuelan opposition. Leopoldo López, a prominent exiled opposition figure residing in Spain, publicly expressed his “full support” for the idea. However, María Corina Machado, widely considered the opposition’s leading figure, has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.

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Migrants Caught in Political Crossfire

Numerous political and human rights activists have voiced profound concern and dismay over the situation. The Venezuelan migrants, initially denied due process in the United States and subsequently deported to El Salvador, are now entangled in a geopolitical struggle involving populist leaders like Trump, Bukele, and Maduro.

Human Rights Concerns over Prisoner Swap

Christopher Sabatini, a senior fellow for Latin America at Chatham House, condemned the premise of a prisoner exchange. “The idea that there would be a [prisoner] trade should be loathsome to anyone who actually cares about human rights,” Sabatini stated, highlighting the ethical implications of the proposal.

Motives Behind the Diplomatic Maneuvering

Geoff Ramsey, a Venezuela expert at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, suggested that the distressing situation of the detained Venezuelans and Bukele’s prisoner swap offer, characterized as a “PR stunt,” could serve the interests of both Bukele and Maduro.

Maduro Seeks to Divert Attention from Domestic Issues

Ramsey elaborated that “Maduro’s quite content to engage in a feud with Bukele and emphasize human rights abuses in El Salvador as a tactic to distract from the brutal repression and violence perpetrated by his own regime.” Foro Penal, a human rights group, estimates that approximately 900 political prisoners are currently held in Venezuelan jails. Thousands were detained following last year’s election, after Maduro initiated a crackdown to prevent Edmundo González, widely believed to be the victor, from assuming power.

Bukele’s Strategy to Shift Focus

According to Ramsey, Bukele’s offer appears to be “a shrewd tactic to redirect the discussion away from apprehensions surrounding the deportees detained in El Salvador and back to the issue of political prisoners in Venezuela,” effectively changing the narrative.

Uncertainty and Hardship for Migrants

For the migrants ensnared in these geopolitical detentions, the ramifications are dire. Many have not been found guilty of any offenses, and the duration of their confinement remains undetermined, leaving them in a state of limbo and vulnerability.

Families Anguish Over Detainees’ Fate

Nathali Sánchez, the wife of Arturo Suárez Trejo, a detained Venezuelan musician, expressed her anguish in a recent interview. She described the Venezuelan detainees as pawns in a “high-stakes game of chess.” Sánchez refuted allegations of her partner’s criminal involvement, denouncing the situation as “evil.”

Venezuelan Opposition’s Precarious Position

The Trump administration’s targeting of Venezuelan migrants, often labeling them as gang members and terrorists without substantial evidence, has placed the Venezuelan opposition in a challenging position.

Pressure to Maintain White House Support

Seemingly apprehensive about alienating the Trump administration, key leaders within the opposition, including Machado, have remained largely silent regarding the migration crackdown and the deportation of Venezuelan citizens to El Salvador. Sabatini criticized this silence, stating, “[The opposition has] largely held its tongue on issues of the treatment of fellow citizens because of its larger goal of gaining the White House’s support for its preferred strategy [to defeat Maduro] and that also is reprehensible.”

Public Outcry and Opposition’s Dilemma

Among families and friends of the detained migrants, many of whom are opposition supporters who fled Venezuela to escape Maduro’s rule, the opposition’s failure to advocate for them is sparking resentment and disappointment.

Balancing International Relations and Domestic Concerns

Ramsey concluded, “The reality is that the Venezuelan opposition needs to maintain a positive rapport with the White House, and they recognize the need to avoid being perceived as critical of Trump. However, the general Venezuelan populace is incensed by the predicament faced by those who have been deported and incarcerated in a high security prison in El Salvador. This situation truly places the opposition between a rock and a hard place,” highlighting the difficult balance the opposition must strike between international relations and domestic public sentiment.