US President Donald Trump said he is open to the idea of sending American prisoners to El Salvador. This is reported by DPA, citing statements by the president, BTA reports.
The proposal comes from El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, who offered to accept American citizens convicted of serious crimes in the Terrorist Detention Center, located in the high-security prison complex near Tecoluca. This facility is known for its extremely harsh conditions.
„If they can accept these terrible criminals at a lower cost than ours, then I'm „for“, but I will only do it in accordance with the law“, commented Trump. He added that he had invited Bukele to visit the White House on April 14 to discuss the proposal in detail.
The proposal comes at a time when the Trump administration has already begun sending hundreds of alleged members of a Venezuelan criminal group to El Salvador. This is despite an order from a US judge blocking the Trump administration from carrying out such expulsions, DPA notes.
Bukele subsequently proposed including convicted US citizens, expressing the opinion that this would help the financial stability of El Salvador's prison system.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized Bukele's prison policy, citing arbitrary arrests and widespread human rights violations.