Latest news with #prisonabuse
France 24
a day ago
- Politics
- France 24
Venezuela accuses El Salvador of torturing migrants deported by US
Venezuela Attorney General Tarek Saab said on Monday that his office will investigate El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele and two other officials for the alleged abuse of Venezuelans who were detained in the Central American country. More than 250 Venezuelans held in El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison returned to Venezuela on Friday, under the terms of a prisoner exchange agreed with the United States. Detainees suffered human rights abuses ranging from sexual abuse to beatings, were denied medical care or treated without anesthesia and given food and water that made them ill, Saab said at a press conference. As well as Bukele, Venezuela will investigate El Salvador' s Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro and Head of Prisons Osiris Luna Meza, Saab said, after showing videos of former detainees recounting torture and showing injuries - including a missing molar, bruising and scars - they said were the result of the abuse. Bukele's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Reuters was not able to immediately confirm the assertions made in the videos. Two of those shown speaking were identifiable as former detainees in CECOT. 01:44 Late on Monday, Bukele posted about the return on social media but did not comment on the abuse allegations. "The Maduro regime was satisfied with the swap deal; that's why they accepted it," he said on X. "Now they scream their outrage, not because they disagree with the deal but because they just realized they ran out of hostages from the most powerful country in the world." The Venezuelans were sent to El Salvador from the United States in March after US President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang without normal immigration procedures. The deportations drew fierce criticism from human rights groups and a legal battle with the Trump administration. Family members and lawyers of many of the men deny they had gang ties. The former detainees arrived near Caracas on Friday, where some reunited with their families, but they have not yet returned to their own homes. "I can't stop thinking of the hunger my son went through," Yajaira Fuenmayor, the mother of former El Salvador detainee Alirio Guillermo Belloso, said on Sunday afternoon from her home in Maracaibo. "I have a salad ready, some grilled arepas (traditional corn cakes) because he loves them, and there is fish in the refrigerator to fry." The government has said the men will be medically evaluated and interviewed before being released. It has always said the El Salvador detentions were illegal and that only seven of the men had serious criminal records. POLITICAL PRISONERS FREED The Venezuelan opposition has regularly critiqued the government of President Nicolas Maduro for holding activists and others in similar conditions within Venezuela. The US said last week that 80 Venezuelans would be released from Venezuelan jails as part of the swap, which also freed 10 Americans held in Venezuela. Forty-eight Venezuelan political prisoners have so far been released, legal rights advocacy group Foro Penal said earlier on Monday on X. "We regret the absence of an official list that allows us to verify with more precision," the group said, adding that some lists in circulation have included people not classed as political detainees, people who had already been released and even prisoners who have died. The communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment about who is set to be released and whether any of them will be subject to house arrest or other alternatives to detention. The main opposition coalition in Venezuela has cheered the release of the prisoners. But the coalition said on Sunday nearly 1,000 people remain jailed in Venezuela for political reasons and 12 others have been arrested in recent days, in what it called a "revolving door" for political prisoners.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Venezuela to investigate alleged torture of its citizens in El Salvador jail
Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek Saab, said on Monday that his office would investigate El Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, and two other officials for the alleged abuse of Venezuelans detained in the country. More than 250 Venezuelans held in El Salvador's notorious Cecot prison returned to Venezuela on Friday under the terms of a prisoner exchange agreed with the US. Detainees suffered human rights abuses ranging from sexual abuse to beatings, were denied medical care or treated without anaesthesia and given food and water that made them ill, Saab said at a press conference. As well as Bukele, Venezuela would investigate El Salvador's justice minister, Gustavo Villatoro, and its head of prisons, Osiris Luna Meza, Saab said, after showing videos of former detainees recounting torture and showing injuries – including a missing molar, bruising and scars – they said were the result of the abuse. Bukele's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the assertions made in the videos, but two of those shown speaking were identifiable as former Cecot detainees. The Venezuelans were sent to El Salvador from the US in March after Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang without normal immigration procedures. The deportations drew fierce criticism from human rights groups and led to a legal battle with the Trump administration. Family members and lawyers of many of the men deny they had gang ties. The former detainees arrived near Caracas on Friday, where some were reunited with their families, but they have not yet returned to their own homes. Yajaira Fuenmayor, the mother of the returned detainee Alirio Guillermo Belloso, said on Sunday afternoon from her home in Maracaibo that she was preparing him arepas, traditional corn cakes, as a welcome. 'I can't stop thinking of the hunger my son went through. I have a salad ready, some grilled arepas because he loves them, and there is fish in the refrigerator to fry,' she said. The government said the men would be medically evaluated and interviewed before being released. It has always said the El Salvador detentions were illegal and that only seven of the men had serious criminal records. The Venezuelan opposition has regularly criticised the country's president, Nicolás Maduro, and his government for holding activists and others in similar conditions in Venezuela. The US said last week that 80 Venezuelans would be released from Venezuelan jails as part of the deal, under which 10 US citizens held in Venezuela were also to be freed. Forty-eight Venezuelan political prisoners have so far been released, the legal rights advocacy group Foro Penal said earlier on Monday on X. 'We regret the absence of an official list that allows us to verify with more precision,' the group said, adding that some lists in circulation had included people not classed as political detainees, people who had already been released and even prisoners who had died. 'At Foro Penal we remain in coordination with families working to verify other cases.' The communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment about who was to be released and whether any of them would be subject to house arrest or other alternatives to detention. The main opposition coalition in Venezuela cheered the release of the prisoners, but said on Sunday that nearly 1,000 people were still in jail in Venezuela for political reasons and that 12 others had been arrested in recent days in what it called a 'revolving door' for political prisoners.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Venezuela to investigate alleged torture of its citizens in El Salvador jail
Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek Saab, said on Monday that his office would investigate El Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, and two other officials for the alleged abuse of Venezuelans detained in the country. More than 250 Venezuelans held in El Salvador's notorious Cecot prison returned to Venezuela on Friday under the terms of a prisoner exchange agreed with the US. Detainees suffered human rights abuses ranging from sexual abuse to beatings, were denied medical care or treated without anaesthesia and given food and water that made them ill, Saab said at a press conference. As well as Bukele, Venezuela would investigate El Salvador's justice minister, Gustavo Villatoro, and its head of prisons, Osiris Luna Meza, Saab said, after showing videos of former detainees recounting torture and showing injuries - including a missing molar, bruising and scars - they said were the result of the abuse. Bukele's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters was not immediately able confirm the assertions made in the videos, but two of those shown speaking were identifiable as former Cecot detainees. The Venezuelans were sent to El Salvador from the US in March after Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang without normal immigration procedures. The deportations drew fierce criticism from human rights groups and led to a legal battle with the Trump administration. Family members and lawyers of many of the men deny they had gang ties. The former detainees arrived near Caracas on Friday, where some were reunited with their families, but they have not yet returned to their own homes. Yajaira Fuenmayor, the mother of the returned detainee Alirio Guillermo Belloso, said on Sunday afternoon from her home in Maracaibo that she was preparing him arepas, traditional corn cakes, as a welcome. 'I can't stop thinking of the hunger my son went through. I have a salad ready, some grilled arepas because he loves them, and there is fish in the refrigerator to fry,' she said. The government has said the men will be medically evaluated and interviewed before being released. It has always said the El Salvador detentions were illegal and that only seven of the men had serious criminal records. The Venezuelan opposition has regularly criticised the country's president, Nicolás Maduro, and his government for holding activists and others in similar conditions in Venezuela. The US said last week that 80 Venezuelans would be released from Venezuelan jails as part of the deal, under which 10 US citizens held in Venezuela were also to be freed. Forty-eight Venezuelan political prisoners have so far been released, the legal rights advocacy group Foro Penal said earlier on Monday on X. 'We regret the absence of an official list that allows us to verify with more precision,' the group said, adding that some lists in circulation had included people not classed as political detainees, people who had already been released and even prisoners who had died. 'At Foro Penal we remain in coordination with families working to verify other cases.' The communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment about who is to be released and whether any of them will be subject to house arrest or other alternatives to detention. The main opposition coalition in Venezuela has cheered the release of the prisoners, but said on Sunday that nearly 1,000 people were still in jail in Venezuela for political reasons and that 12 others had been arrested in recent days in what it called a 'revolving door' for political prisoners.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Venezuela to investigate Bukele, other officials for alleged detainee abuse
CARACAS, July 21 (Reuters) - Venezuela Attorney General Tarek Saab said on Monday that his office will investigate El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele and two other officials for the alleged abuse of Venezuelans who were detained in the Central American country. More than 250 Venezuelans held in El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison returned to Venezuela on Friday, under the terms of a prisoner exchange agreed with the United States. Detainees suffered human rights abuses ranging from sexual abuse to beatings, were denied medical care or treated without anesthesia and given food and water that made them ill, Saab said at a press conference. As well as Bukele, Venezuela will investigate El Salvador's Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro and Head of Prisons Osiris Luna Meza, Saab said, after showing videos of former detainees recounting torture and showing injuries - including a missing molar, bruising and scars - they said were the result of the abuse. Bukele's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters was not able to immediately confirm the assertions made in the videos. Two of those shown speaking were identifiable as former detainees in CECOT. The Venezuelans were sent to El Salvador from the United States in March after U.S. President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang without normal immigration procedures. The deportations drew fierce criticism from human rights groups and a legal battle with the Trump administration. Family members and lawyers of many of the men deny they had gang ties. The former detainees arrived near Caracas on Friday, where some reunited with their families, but they have not yet returned to their own homes. Yajaira Fuenmayor, the mother of former El Salvador detainee Alirio Guillermo Belloso, said on Sunday afternoon from her home in Maracaibo that she was preparing him arepas, traditional corn cakes, as a welcome. "I can't stop thinking of the hunger my son went through. I have a salad ready, some grilled arepas because he loves them, and there is fish in the refrigerator to fry," she said. The government has said the men will be medically evaluated and interviewed before being released. It has always said the El Salvador detentions were illegal and that only seven of the men had serious criminal records. The Venezuelan opposition has regularly critiqued the government of President Nicolas Maduro for holding activists and others in similar conditions within Venezuela. The U.S. said last week that 80 Venezuelans would be released from Venezuelan jails as part of the swap, which also freed 10 Americans held in Venezuela. Forty-eight Venezuelan political prisoners have so far been released, legal rights advocacy group Foro Penal said earlier on Monday on X. "We regret the absence of an official list that allows us to verify with more precision," the group said, adding that some lists in circulation have included people not classed as political detainees, people who had already been released and even prisoners who have died. "At Foro Penal we remain in coordination with families working to verify other cases." The communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment about who is set to be released and whether any of them will be subject to house arrest or other alternatives to detention. The main opposition coalition in Venezuela has cheered the release of the prisoners. But the coalition said on Sunday nearly 1,000 people remain jailed in Venezuela for political reasons and 12 others have been arrested in recent days, in what it called a "revolving door" for political prisoners.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was beaten, tortured in El Salvador prison, court filing says
Kilmar Abrego Garcia experienced "severe beatings" and "psychological torture" in a notorious high-security prison in El Salvador after he was deported by the Trump administration, according to a new court filing. The filing in federal court on Wednesday, July 2, also says that Abrego Garcia experienced "severe sleep deprivation" and nutrition so inadequate that he lost 31 pounds while he was at the Terrorism Confinement Center, also known as CECOT, in Tecoluca, El Salvador. Abrego Garcia, a 30-year-old native of El Salvador living in Beltsville, Maryland was mistakenly deported and taken to CECOT in March. The Trump administration has admitted in court documents that Abrego Garcia's deportation was a mistake, which it blamed it on an 'administrative error.' The new details from Abrego Garcia's treatment at CECOT come as part of a lawsuit filed by his wife against the Trump administration, which is seeking to have the matter thrown out because he has since been returned to the United States. An indictment accuses Abrego Garcia of conspiring to bring immigrants into the United States illegally from various Central and South American countries. He has pleaded not guilty. Here's what else you need to know. When Abrego Garcia arrived at CECOT on March 15, "he was repeatedly struck by officers when he attempted to raise his head," according to the court filing. "Welcome to CECOT. Whoever enters here doesn't leave," a prison official told Abrego Garcia, the filing says. After Abrego Garcia stripped and was issued a prison uniform, he was "kicked in the legs with boots and struck on his head and arms to make him change his clothes faster," the filing says. "His head was shaved with a zero razor, and he was frog-marched to cell 15, being struck with wooden batons along the way." Abrego Garcia and about 20 other Salvadorans were forced to kneel from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., "with guards striking anyone who fell from exhaustion," the filing says. "Abrego Garcia was denied bathroom access and soiled himself." Though prison officials determined Abrego Garcia wasn't affiliated with a gang and was kept separate from gang members, guards repeatedly threatened to transfer him to their cells, where they would "tear" him apart, the filing says. "Screams from nearby cells would ... ring out throughout the night without any response from prison guards," the filing says. Within the first two weeks, Abrego Garcia "suffered a significant deterioration in his physical condition and lost approximately 31 pounds," dropping down to about 184 pounds, the filing says. Abrego Garcia's lawsuit, which names multiple members of the Trump administration, says that they were "aware that the government of El Salvador tortures individuals detained in CECOT." "Indeed, U.S. President Donald Trump has made comments to the press expressing glee and delight at the torture that the Government of El Salvador inflicts upon detainees in CECOT," the filing adds. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement earlier this week that Abrego Garcia "is a dangerous criminal illegal alien." "We have said it for months, and it remains true to this day: he will never go free on American soil," she said. A federal judge in Tennessee ordered Abrego Garcia's release last week, though he remained jailed as lawyers wrangle over the logistics. The father of three was thrust into the spotlight when the Trump administration erroneously deported him in March despite a court order barring the U.S. government from sending him back to El Salvador. Government attorneys said his deportation was an "administrative error." In April, a federal judge ruled that the administration had acted illegally in deporting Abrego Garcia and ordered officials to return him to the United States. The Supreme Court upheld that ruling and ordered the administration to begin the process of releasing him, but officials resisted bringing him back until he was indicted on the human smuggling charges in May. Federal prosecutors want Abrego Garcia to remain behind bars as he awaits trial, arguing that he is a member of the violent gang MS-13, a designated terrorist organization, and could flee or intimidate other witnesses if he is released. Abrego Garcia denies being a member of the gang and contends the charges don't justify holding him in jail. Contributing: Michael Collins, Kelly Puente, and Ruben Montoya, USA TODAY (This story was updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kilmar Abrego Garcia was tortured in El Salvador prison: Lawyers
