El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has proposed a prisoner exchange with Venezuela, offering to repatriate 252 Venezuelans who were deported from the United States in exchange for an equal number of Venezuelan political prisoners.
Bukele made the offer in a post on X, addressing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro directly. He emphasized that while many of the Venezuelans detained in El Salvador have been accused of serious crimes—including murder and rape—the political prisoners in Venezuela have been jailed solely for opposing Maduro’s government.
Controversy Surrounding the Deportees
Bukele’s Broader Proposal
Bukele’s proposal also includes the release of nearly 50 detainees from other nationalities, including U.S. citizens, as part of the exchange. The Venezuelan government has yet to respond to the offer.
This development comes amid heightened scrutiny of Bukele’s approach to crime and immigration, as well as ongoing tensions between Venezuela and the U.S. over deportation policies.
