El Salvadors president proposes prisoner exchange with Venezuela
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El Salvador Offers Venezuela Prisoner Swap for US Deportees
Above: U.S. President Donald Trump (R) meets with El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office of the White House on April 14, 2025. Image copyright: Win McNamee/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
The Venezuelans detained in El Salvador are dangerous criminals who have committed serious offenses and deserve to stay in a harsh mega-prison. Venezuela's political prisoners are innocent people imprisoned for opposing Maduro's regime and electoral fraud, and they must be released immediately.
Opposition narrative
The detention of Venezuelans in El Salvador constitutes kidnapping and a serious violation of international human rights law, as many detainees lack criminal records and are denied due process, including access to legal counsel and family contact. There's no ground in Bukele calling it a "humanitarian" proposal.