Venezuela Accuses Bukele of ‘Forced Disappearances,’ Demands Migrants’ Release

Caracas, April 23, 2025 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan government rebuked Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s “cynical” proposal to exchange detained Venezuelan migrants for alleged political prisoners held in the Caribbean country.

On Sunday, Bukele sent Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro a so-called “humanitarian proposal” to swap 252 Venezuelans held in El Salvador’s notoriously brutal CECOT prison for the same number of “political prisoners”, including foreigners, presently jailed in Venezuela for various charges of destabilization.

In mid-March, more than 200 Venezuelans were forcibly expelled from the US under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act based on allegations of belonging to the so-called Tren de Aragua gang. Caracas has condemned the widespread criminalization of migrants and asserted that it dismantled the gang’s operations in Venezuela in 2023.

Investigations have shown that the vast majority of the deported Venezuelans have no criminal record in the US and did not go through normal deportation procedures. According to some testimonies, the deported detainees were forced to sign documents admitting gang allegations before being sent to El Salvador.

The Trump administration reportedly agreed to pay Bukele $20,000 per detainee yearly. 

In a communique issued on Sunday, Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab condemned Bukele’s “cynical statement,” pointing out that it openly acknowledges that Venezuelan migrants are being “held arbitrarily in a concentration camp.”

“The world should be appalled that CECOT has transformed from a torture center created by Bukele’s twisted mind for punishing criminals into a site of forced disappearance for innocent Venezuelan nationals,” the statement added, describing the US-El Salvador agreement as a human trafficking operation.

Saab demanded to know what crimes the detainees had committed, if they had access to legal counsel or were allowed to contact family members. “I urgently request the complete list identifying all the kidnapped individuals and their judicial status, as well as proof of life and medical reports for each of them,” concluded the statement. 

For his part, President Maduro demanded the “unconditional release” of all the “kidnapped” Venezuelans, urging Bukele to “abandon the path of forced disappearance.” Maduro also asked for the liberation of Salvadoran national Kilmar Ábrego García, who was deported to the Central American country, accused of being a member of the MS-13 gang. His lawyer has denied the charge. 

On Tuesday, Bukele reiterated his swap deal and informed that his foreign ministry had formally sent the official proposal to the Venezuelan government through diplomatic channels.

Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry formally responded to the communication on Tuesday, reiterating its opposition to the human rights violations committed against the group of migrants and demanding respect for due process.

Families of detained Venezuelans in El Salvador likewise rejected Bukele’s exchange proposal, accusing him of treating their relatives like “political merchandise.” 

“We refuse to accept an exchange because our children are not criminals,” stated Luismary Gómez, a 44-year-old mother of one migrant held at CECOT, during a rally at the United Nations headquarters in Caracas on Wednesday.

Ángel Blanco, also at the rally, said that his 22-year-old son was detained and sent to El Salvador’s maximum security prison for having a tattoo. “They are doing human trafficking with our children,” he remarked. According to experts, Venezuelan gangs are not identified by tattoos.

Lawyers hired by the Maduro government have denied accusations that their clients belong to the Tren de Aragua criminal organization and denounced that they have not been allowed to communicate with the Venezuelan detainees. In late March, the legal team filed a habeas corpus appeal before the Salvadoran Supreme Court and argued that it would extend to all 238 Venezuelans. The appeal remains unanswered.

Despite US court orders prohibiting the use of an 18th-century law to expedite deportations, the Trump administration has persisted in its crackdown on migration, particularly targeting Venezuelans. More are expected to be deported to El Salvador.

On Monday, the US Justice Department announced that 27 more Venezuelans have been charged with murder, extortion, sex and drug trafficking, robbery, and firearm offenses. They are accused of being associated with Tren de Aragua and a splinter faction called Anti-Tren.

“Today’s indictments and arrests span three states and will devastate Tren de Aragua’s infrastructure,” read the Justice statement. The 27 Venezuelans, 21 of whom are already in federal custody, were charged under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), a federal law aimed at combating organized crime.

US District Judge Charlotte Sweeney ordered the Trump administration on Tuesday to provide Venezuelan migrants in the state of Colorado with 21 days’ notice before deportation, ensuring they are informed of their rights to consult a lawyer in a language they understand.

Just a day prior, President Trump claimed in a social media post that it was “not possible” to provide trials for “the hundreds of thousands of illegals we are sending out of the country.”

Edited by Cira Pascual Marquina in Palmarito.