Shortly after the Trump administration expelled hundreds of Venezuelans in Salvador This weekend, President Salvadoran, Nayib Bukele, published a three-minute video on social networks. He included chained men who left a plane on a dramatic electronic soundtrack and in prison, where they were shaved.
Mr. Bukele also narrated the American judge who without success ordered the flights around, displaying on X, “Oopsy … Too late”, with a laughing emoji. Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared the video, as is Elon Musk. Mr. Trump thanked Mr. Bukele online, saying: “We will not forget!”
The role of El Salvador in the deportation strategy of the Trump administration signals a new level of power and world visibility for Mr. Bukele, who became president at 37 years old in 2019 and was re -elected by a landslide Last year.
He has become the most popular leader in Latin America for his withdrawal of gangs, even if he suspended key civil freedoms and was accused by American prosecutors of secretly negotiating with the same gangs. He is now positioned as a crucial regional ally for Trump.
The “coolest dictator” in the world
Mr. Bukele uses social media to project a smooth and relaxed look – often wearing a backball cap and aviator nuances – and to meet the criticism of his iron approach to crime and violence.
In the spring of 2022, after an increase in the violence of the gangs shook El Salvador, the government imposed a state of emergency which has been in place since. Mr. Bukele empowered the police and military forces Perform mass arrestsWho say that human rights groups have trapped without regular procedural people who have no gang link.
A lot of 85,000 Salvadoran apprehended Disappeared in the penitentiary system, detained for years without trial and their family knowing if they are alive.
Mr. Bukele was also accused of having undermined democratic institutions. He kissed criticism, qualifying himself as the world “coolest dictator. “”
Adding to his hard character on crime are the very produced videos and photos that his government regularly publishes. They present shirtless men in the handcuffs or prisoners working Factory type conditions. And they often include images of the prohibited terrorism confinement center, known as Cecot, an obstacle site that can house up to 40,000 prisoners.
An alliance with Trump
The adoption by Mr. Bukele of emergency safety powers and his promotion of the Bitcoin cryptocurrency earned him praise in Mr. Trump’s inner circle.
It recently met Musk In a Tesla factory in Texas.
Last month, Mr. Bukele took Mr. Rubio during a guidance of the Sun of the presidential residence outside San Salvador. After, Mr. Rubio announced That Mr. Bukele had proposed to take deportees of all nationality, including the Americans, and to host them in Cecot – for fees.
Included in this group, said Rubio, is “an illegal foreigner in the United States who is a criminal of all nationality, whether MS-13 or Tren of Aragua”, the Salvado and Venezuelan gangs.
A White House spokesperson said on Monday that El Salvador would receive $ 6 million for taking Venezuelan deportees, who according to the United States government were members of Tren of AraguaWithout offering evidence or the names of the prisoners.
Bring back the members of MS-13
The day after Mr. Rubio’s announcement, the Salvador ambassador to Washington, Milena Mayorga, said that Mr. Bukele had asked to include the leaders of MS-13 among those expelled to El Salvador, “in honor.”
“The president was frank and said to Rubio: I want you to turn me on the gang leaders who are in the United States,” said Mayorga.
The deportees also included two Salvadoral men described by Mr. Rubio as “the main dangerous MS-13 leaders”.
Mr. Bukele’s relationship with MS -13 – which started in Salvador but has spread through Latin America and the United States – is complicated.
Under the Biden administration, the Department of Justice accused Mr. Bukele and his secretly negotiation administration of a pact with certain gang leaders: in exchange to help keep the homicide numbers, Salvadoral officials offered them privileges behind bars, said the ministry.
High Salvadoral officials, The Ministry of Justice has declared, Also helped an MS-13 boss to escape the country even if the United States had asked for his extradition.
In 2021, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions against members of the administration for having distributed favors to gang leaders. Mr. Bukele and the members of his administration were appointed to the American COMB by MS-13 leaders.
Mr. Bukele denied having concluded an agreement with the gang leaders.
Although his popularity has skyrocketed, some analysts say that the Salvadoral leader may be afraid of losing his grip on power if his alleged collaboration with gang leaders should be fully revealed.
Mr. Bukele said the deportees would be held for at least a year and have done work and attend workshops as part of a program called “Zero Ideness”.
By announcing the arrival of this weekend flights, he called them “the first”.
Gabriel Labrador Reports contributed to San Salvador.
