Venezuela Says Migrants Were Tortured In Salvadoran Prison
Attorney General Tarek William Saab presented photos and testimonies at a press conference in Caracas of some of the men, who said they had feared not making it out alive.
Several had bruises on their bodies, marks of being shot with rubber bullets, and one had a split lip.
Andry Hernandez Romero, a 32-year-old beautician among those sent to the notorious CECOT prison as part of US President Donald Trump's migrant crackdown, said he barely survived the ordeal.
"We were going through torture, physical aggressions, psychological aggressions," he said in a video presented by Saab.
"I was sexually abused."
Saab said the prosecutor's office was interviewing the returned migrants.
Many spoke of being held in "inhuman cells," deprived of sunlight and ventilation, and given rotten food and unsafe drinking water.
The men had no access to lawyers or their relatives, and the last many of them were seen was when President Nayib Bukele's government issued photos of them arriving at the prison shackled and with their heads shorn.
By Monday afternoon, the migrants had not yet been reunited with their families.
Officials said they were undergoing medical exams, being issued with new Venezuelan ID cards, and interviewed by the prosecutor's office.
Mercedes Yamarte, 46, told AFP she was preparing a welcome party for her 29-year-old son Mervin -- one of the men released from the prison Bukele built as part of his mass anti-gang crackdown.
She has put up balloons, banners and prepared food at their home in a poor neighborhood of Maracaibo in northern Venezuela, but has no idea when to expect him.
At lunchtime on Monday, she received a call, and heard the words: "Mom, it's Mervin."
"I hadn't heard my son's voice in four months and seven days, listening to him was a joy, a joy I cannot describe," she told AFP.
The men were accused in the United States of being gang members and flown in March to El Salvador, after Trump invoked rarely used wartime laws to deport the men without court hearings.
Their treatment elicited an international outcry.
Saab said the Venezuelan investigation would target Bukele and other Salvadoran officials for alleged crimes against humanity.
And he urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN Human Rights Council to act.
The men were freed last Friday and flown back home in what the Trump administration said was an exchange for 10 Americans or US residents and dozens of "political prisoners" held in Venezuela.
Venezuela itself faces an investigation by the ICC in The Hague, with similar allegations of torturing prisoners and denying them access to legal representation.
Hundreds of people are held for political reasons in Venezuela, according to rights group Foro Penal.
Some 2,400 people were arrested, 28 killed and 200 injured in a crackdown on protests that broke out last July after President Nicolas Maduro claimed victory in elections he is widely accused of having stolen.
On Sunday, Maduro's government insisted negotiations for the migrants' release were held "only with the United States of America" and not "the clown" Bukele. There had been little to no news on the Venezuelan men's fate since the US deported them to El Salvador in March 2025 AFP The 252 men were accused -- without evidence -- of being gang members and flown to the notorious CECOT 'anti-terror' jail in March AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Business Times
5 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Europe Hopes For 'No Surprises' As US Weighs Force Withdrawals
After keeping Donald Trump happy with a pledge to up defence spending at NATO's summit, Europe is now bracing for a key decision from the US president on the future of American forces on the continent. Washington is currently conducting a review of its military deployments worldwide -- set to be unveiled in coming months -- and the expectation is it will lead to drawdowns in Europe. That prospect is fraying the nerves of US allies, especially as fears swirl that Russia could look to attack a NATO country within the next few years if the war in Ukraine dies down. However, the alliance is basking in Trump's newfound goodwill following its June summit in The Hague, and his officials are making encouraging noises that Europe will not be left in the lurch. "We've agreed to no surprises and no gaps in the strategic framework of Europe," said Matthew Whitaker, US ambassador to NATO, adding he expected the review to come out in "late summer, early fall". "I have daily conversations with our allies about the process," he said. While successive US governments have mulled scaling back in Europe to focus more on China, Trump has insisted more forcefully than his predecessors that the continent should handle its own defence. "There's every reason to expect a withdrawal from Europe," said Marta Mucznik from the International Crisis Group. "The question is not whether it's going to happen, but how fast." When Trump returned to office in January many felt he was about to blow a hole in the seven-decade-old alliance. But the vibe in NATO circles is now far more upbeat than those desperate days. "There's a sanguine mood, a lot of guesswork, but the early signals are quite positive," one senior European diplomat told AFP, talking as others on condition of anonymity. "Certainly no panic or doom and gloom." The Pentagon says there are nearly 85,000 US military personnel in Europe -- a number that has fluctuated between 75,000 and 105,000 since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. "I think it is inevitable that they pull out some of their forces," a second European diplomat told AFP. "But I don't expect this to be like a dramatic overhaul. I think it's going to be gradual. I think it's going to be based on consultations." Trump's first target is likely to be the troops left over from a surge ordered by his predecessor Joe Biden after Moscow's tanks rolled into Ukraine. Officials say relocating the rump of that 20,000-strong deployment would not hurt NATO's deterrence too much -- but alarm bells would ring if Trump looked to cut too deep into personnel numbers or close key bases. The issue is not just troop numbers -- the US has capabilities such as air defences, long-range missiles and satellite surveillance that allies would struggle to replace in the short-term. "The kinds of defence investments by Europe that are being made coming out of The Hague summit may only be felt in real capability terms over many years," said Ian Lesser from the German Marshall Fund think tank. "So the question of timing really does matter." Washington's desire to pull back from Europe may be tempered by Trump now taking a tougher line with Russia -- and Moscow's reluctance to bow to his demands to end the Ukraine war. "It seems an inopportune moment to send signals of weakness and reductions in the American security presence in Europe," Lesser said. He also pointed to Trump's struggles during his first term to pull troops out of Germany -- the potential bill for relocating them along with political resistance in Washington scuppering the plan. While European diplomats are feeling more confident than before about the troop review, they admit nothing can be certain with the mercurial US president. Other issues such as Washington's trade negotiations with the EU could rock transatlantic ties in the meantime and upend the good vibes. "It seems positive for now," said a third European diplomat. "But what if we are all wrong and a force decrease will start in 2026. To be honest, there isn't much to go on at this stage."
Int'l Business Times
8 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
What Is The Status Of US Tariff Negotiations?
US tariff negotiations with key trading partners have shifted into high gear as economies race to avoid steeper duties before an August 1 deadline. Many of these tariff hikes were part of a package first announced in April, under which dozens of economies were due to face higher levies -- up from a 10 percent level -- over their trade surpluses with the United States. The twice-postponed deadline for duties to take effect is now Friday, August 1. But Washington has expanded its group of targets coming up against these tariffs, while announcing agreements with the European Union, Britain, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. A deal with the European Union unveiled on Sunday sees a 15 percent tariff imposed on European exports to the United States, down from the 30 percent that Trump earlier threatened. Where do other US trade talks stand? Seoul is racing to reach a deal with Washington, as Tokyo's success in landing an agreement has "amped up the pressure for South Korea," a government source told AFP. Local media reported that Seoul was preparing to propose more than $100 billion in investment as part of a broader agreement, with expected participation by major firms such as Samsung and Hyundai Motor. The South Korean government did not confirm this. But South Korean officials have outlined proposals to deepen collaboration in sectors like shipbuilding, semiconductors and batteries. National Security Advisor Wi Sung-lak has told reporters that the two countries are in "the final and most crucial phase of negotiations" to avert Trump's proposed 25 percent duty. Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told Bloomberg Television Thursday that he was optimistic his country could reach an agreement with the United States to avert Washington's 26 percent tariff threat. Goyal insisted there were not any sticking points in the US-India relationship or in trade talks, and clarified that immigration rules --- including those around H-1B visas for skilled workers -- had not come up in negotiations. Despite Goyal's remarks, local media reported the prospects of an interim deal before August 1 had dimmed. Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai said Thursday that officials are "working hard" on negotiations, amid worries that an unfavorable tariff level could hit the self-ruled island's economy. Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim said Taipei's negotiating team was "working almost 24 hours a day to achieve trade balance and Taiwan's industrial interests, and even to further deepen cooperation." Although Canada and Mexico were spared from Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs announced in April, goods from both countries entering the United States generally face a separate 25 percent duty if they fall outside a North American trade pact. This figure stands to jump to 30 percent for Mexico come August 1, while the level for Canada was set at 35 percent. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her administration was "doing everything" possible to avert the duties and that she would speak with Trump if necessary to try to reach a pact. Trump told reporters Friday there was no deal with Canada so far. Brazil is girding for a virtual trade embargo on its planes, grains and other goods if Trump's threatened 50 percent tariff on its exports takes effect on August 1. The United States runs a trade surplus with Latin America's biggest economy, which was not originally expected to face steeper tariffs under Trump's "reciprocal" duties plan. Trump has not attempted to hide the political motivation in targeting Brazil, citing a judicial "witch hunt" against his right-wing ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro, when he unveiled the tariff rate. The political nature of the spat makes a last-minute deal appear less likely.
DW
18 hours ago
- DW
Russia opens new direct flights to North Korea – DW – 07/27/2025
Monthly flights from Moscow to Pyongyang were set to begin on Sunday evening in a further sign of the deepening ties between Russia and North Korea. Meanwhile, Russia's Navy Day parade was canceled on "security grounds." The first direct passenger flight from Moscow to Pyongyang since the mid-1990s was set depart on Sunday evening in another sign of the deepening ties between Russia and North Korea. The eight-hour, 6,500-kilometer (4,040-mile) flight, operated by private Russian carrier Nordwind Airlines, was due to take off from Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport at 19:00 local time (18:00 CEST). The 440 places on the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft quickly sold out, Russian state media claimed, with tickets costing 44,700 rubles ($563, €479). However, the AFP news agency reported that nine tickets were still available on the airline's official website on Sunday morning. Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia has granted Nordwind Airlines permission to operate flights between the two capital cities twice a week, although the Russian transport ministry said that flights would operate only once a month to begin with in order to "help build stable demand." A return flight from Pyongyang to Moscow is scheduled for Tuesday, according to Russian state news agency TASS. Previously, the only direct air route between Russia and North Korea has been flights by North Korean carrier Air Koryo from Pyongyang to Vladivostok in Russia's Far East three times a week. A direct train connection between Moscow and Pyongyang was reopened on June 17 this year after being suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 10,000-kilometer (6,200-mile) journey takes eight days. Russia and North Korea have increased diplomatic, economic and military ties in the wake of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Kyiv and its Western allies have accused North Korea of supplying Russia with artillery and ballistic missiles to strike Ukrainian cities, while Pyongyang has deployed more than 10,000 troops to help repulse a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk region. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Meanwhile, the Russian government said on Sunday that an annual navy parade in St. Petersburg was canceled for unspecified "security reasons." Authorities in the northwestern port city canceled the parade on Friday with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying on Sunday that "security comes first." President Vladimir Putin reintroduced Russia's "Navy Day" in 2017 after an almost four-decade absence. In a video message published on Sunday, he praised the "courage" and "heroism" of Russian marines involved in the war of aggression against Ukraine since February 2022. He said the military's most important aim was to "protect the sovereignty and the national interests of the fatherland" and that the navy plays an "important role" in this. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday that around 100 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted over Russian territory, at least ten of which were close to St. Petersburg, which temporarily closed its airport. Further south, Ukrainian drone and missile attacks have effectively forced Russia's Black Sea fleet to abandon its bases in Crimea and retreat further east. The fleet's flagship, the was sunk by Ukrainian forces on April 14, 2022, becoming the largest Russian warship to be sunk since the Second World War.
