Presidents Nayib Bukele and Nicolás Maduro Are Beefing After Bukele Tried To Pull A Wild Stunt With Venezuelan Deportees
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele is offering Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro a unique proposal: a prisoner swap. President Bukele is offering the Venezuelan deportees sent to El Salvador in exchange for “political prisoners.” The Venezuelan government and President Maduro spoke out against the proposal calling on the release of the Venezuelans detained in El Salvador.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro rejected a prisoner swap with El Salvador
Speaking on national television, President Maduro spoke out against President Nayib Bukele’s proposal. President Maduro criticized the Salvadoran president and called for an immediate proof of life for those currently detained. Additionally, he called for the Salvadoran government to allow attorneys and families access to the prisoners.
“And, sooner than later,” President Maduro added. “Set them free, unconditionally. Unconditional release for the youth detained in El Salvador.”
President Maduro has voiced his opinion on the Venezuelans currently being held in Salvadoran prisons. He condemned the detention as a kidnapping and forced disappearance of the hundreds of Venezuelan nationals sent to El Salvador from the U.S. Additionally, President Maduro has demanded to know the whereabouts and wellbeing of the Venezuelan nationals.
President Bukele responded by offering the prisoner swap again
President Bukele took to social media to respond to President Maduro’s pushback. This time he attached a formal proposal to the post. According to President Bukele, the letter was sent to Venezuela’s foreign minister.
“You stated yesterday that you would not accept our prisoner exchange proposal. However, your refusal is inconsistent,” President Bukele wrote in a social media post. “You yourself have made these kinds of exchanges in the past. You even released 30 political prisoners in exchange for just one: Alex Saab, one of your closest collaborators, accused of participating in serious crimes and crimes against the Venezuelan people.”
The self-described “world’s coolest dictator” has enjoyed a renewed presence on the global stage. Though controversial, President Bukele has cozied up to U.S. officials and offered to help in the federal government’s deportation plans.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele publicly shared a prisoner swap proposal
The Salvadoran president first presented the prisoner swap idea in a post on X (formerly Twitter). President Bukele proposed swapping 252 Venezuelan deportees for 252 “political prisoners.” Some of the names include prominent journalists, relatives of political figures, and a number of prisoners from other countries.
“Unlike you, who have political prisoners, we don’t have political prisoners,” President Bukele wrote in the post. “All the Venezuelans we have in custody were detained as part of an operation against gangs like the Tren de Aragua in the United States.”
He also used the post to continue repeating rhetoric from U.S. federal officials. His post continues to frame deportees like Kilmar Abrego Garcia as a criminal, despite the lack of evidence.
“Unlike our detainees, many of whom have committed murder, others have committed rape, and some have even been arrested multiple times before being deported, your political prisoners have committed no crime,” President Bukele wrote in the post. “The only reason they are imprisoned is because they opposed you and your electoral fraud.”
