In the first week of the new administration, the US has seen a surge in deportation flights to Latin American countries, including Colombia, Mexico and Brazil. El Salvador, however, has taken a different approach, announcing a unique deal with the US that goes beyond the usual migration agreements.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed the details of the deal during a meeting with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele. According to Rubio, the Central American country has agreed to accept not only illegal migrants from the US but also dangerous US criminals in its prisons.
The US State Department’s spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, praised the Salvadoran government’s decision, calling it an “unprecedented gesture” that has never been seen before from a country.
Bukele confirmed the deal on social media, stating that El Salvador has offered the US the possibility of outsourcing a part of its penal system.
However, the Salvadoran president emphasized that the country is only willing to accept convicted felons in exchange for a fee, which would be substantial for the US but a significant revenue for El Salvador, allowing the country’s entire prison system to be sustainable.
The massive prison complex, CECOT, was inaugurated in January 2023, following a crackdown on gang crime, which led to the arrest of around 60,000 suspects within a few months. Officially, the prison can accommodate up to 40,000 inmates.