President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador issued a bold and public proposal to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, offering a humanitarian exchange: the repatriation of 252 Venezuelan nationals detained in El Salvador in exchange for the release of an equal number of political prisoners held in Venezuela.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Bukele contrasted his country’s rule of law with Venezuela’s repressive governance. “Unlike you, who holds political prisoners, we do not,” Bukele stated. “All Venezuelans in our custody were detained during a U.S.-led operation targeting transnational gangs like the Tren de Aragua.”
He emphasized that many of those detained had committed serious crimes, including murder and sexual assault, and some had re-entered the U.S. illegally after multiple deportations. “Your political prisoners, on the other hand, have committed no crimes — their only offense was to oppose you and your fraudulent elections,” Bukele charged.
A Humanitarian Proposal
Bukele’s proposal would see all 252 Venezuelans currently in Salvadoran custody returned home, in exchange for the release of 252 political detainees from Venezuela. Among the individuals he named were:
- Rafael Tudares, son-in-law of opposition leader Edmundo González
- Roland Carreño, a journalist imprisoned since 2020
- Rocío San Miguel, a prominent lawyer and human rights advocate
- Corina Parisca de Machado, mother of opposition leader María Corina Machado
The proposed list also includes four political leaders currently sheltering in the Argentine Embassy in Caracas, as well as nearly 50 foreign nationals detained in Venezuela. These detainees span multiple nationalities, including American, German, Dominican, Israeli, French, Iranian, Ukrainian, and others.
Bukele concluded by saying that El Salvador’s Foreign Ministry would formally send the proposal to Caracas. He closed his message with a blessing: “God bless the people of Venezuela.”
Regional and International Implications
The proposal places renewed international pressure on Maduro’s government, which faces widespread condemnation for jailing political opponents and civil society leaders. It also reflects Bukele’s growing role in regional diplomacy and his desire to assert El Salvador as a leader in upholding human rights in Latin America.
As of now, President Maduro has not responded publicly to Bukele’s offer.
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