El Salvador threatens to send gangs to France over prison criticism
El Salvador has threatened to send some of its most notorious criminals to France . Nayib Bukele, the Central American country's president issued the grim warning after a Paris Fashion Week show criticised the treatment of inmates at one of the nation's mega prisons. Responding to a post on X in which models wore white T-shirts and shorts - resembling uniforms worn by inmates at the Terrorism Confinement Centre - Bukele slammed the designer and accused Paris of 'glorifying criminals'.
In his rant, he said: 'We're ready to ship them all to Paris whenever we get the green light from the French government. He followed that post with another showing a woman crying after being harassed in Paris. Bukele captioned: 'This is the result of glorifying criminals in Paris. He who spares the wolf sacrifices the sheep'. His second tweet caught the attention of X founder Elon Musk, who reposted in agreement.
The leader's press secretary said Bukele's response demonstrated his 'firm stance against the attempt to glorify criminality'. In the fashion show by Willy Chavarria, a Mexican-American designer, 36 men wearing the attire made in collaboration with the American Civil Liberties Union walked down the ramp. They then fell on their knees and bowed their heads - a callback to pictures from the prison after the government announced it would be harsher on gangs.
Some models also wore T-shirts with America written upside down. Some commentators noted it was a way to emphasise his belief that El Salvador was heading in the wrong direction. The designer's political messaging began even before the fashion show started - his invitations were styled to look like immigration summons. It asked readers to attend to witness a 'presentation of humanity'.
For years, El Salvador has grappled with gang-related violence, which has left several people dead . The murders, kidnappings, and extortion committed by gangs like the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and the 18th Street Gang have led to the nation's reputation as one of the most dangerous in the world. However, when President Bukele took over power in 2019, he made it one of his missions to fight organised crimes and gangs.
As part of his efforts, he opened CECOT, which now houses some of the most hardened criminals in the country. But human rights advocates have criticised the prison for its treatment of its inmates - some have said inmates are forced to live in inhumane conditions. Thousands of suspected gang members have been hauled to the prison in a desperate move to get them off the streets.
Unlike many other prisons, visitations and recreation are not allowed in CECOT. Inmates also do not have access to education. Each of the 256 cells in the prison, located in Tecoluca, has around 156 inmates who are forced to sleep in metal bunk beds with no mattress or sheets.
The inmates are made to share just two toilets and two sinks. CCTV cameras monitor the cell around the clock, while an artificial bright light stays on throughout the day and night. If an inmate is unfortunate enough to be sent into solitary confinement, they are forced to stay in a narrow pitch black cell with only a small ceiling hole providing a source of light.
The only time prisoners can leave their cells is when they have a court hearing, which is often via video link. Their diet consists mainly of beans or pasta, as the government has forbidden meat. Violence in prison is commonplace as members of rival gangs are forced to co-exist with each other. Many of the prisoners will never be freed as they are serving between 100 to 200 years.
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