Bukele Proposes Prisoner Exchange With Venezuela Amid U.S. Deportations

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has proposed a controversial prisoner exchange with Venezuela, offering to return 252 Venezuelans deported from the U.S. and detained in El Salvador in exchange for the release of political prisoners held by the Maduro government.

In a post on X, Bukele called on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to release 252 political detainees, including journalist Roland Carreno, human rights lawyer Rocio San Miguel, and Corina Parisca de Machado, mother of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. He also included nearly 50 other detainees of various nationalities, including 10 U.S. citizens, as part of the proposed swap.

Bukele’s proposal follows a deal with the Trump administration, which deported at least 200 Venezuelans to El Salvador last month. U.S. authorities accused them of links to the Tren de Aragua criminal gang. El Salvador is receiving $6 million from the U.S. to detain them in its high-security Terrorism Confinement Center.

However, the Venezuelan government denies any political detentions, claiming all imprisoned individuals were convicted of crimes. NGOs contest this, stating over 800 people are held for political reasons. Venezuela also disputes the gang affiliations of the deported migrants, with lawyers and families maintaining their innocence.

The proposal has received support from Adam Boehler, U.S. special envoy for hostage response, who welcomed the initiative on X. Bukele stated that El Salvador’s Foreign Ministry will formally deliver the proposal through diplomatic channels.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily halted additional deportations of Venezuelan migrants under a wartime law, following an emergency request from the ACLU. The Trump administration remains firm on its immigration crackdown but has not indicated it will challenge the court’s decision.