Venezuela’s attorney general, Tarek Saab, announced on Monday that his office would examine the actions of El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, along with two other officials, regarding allegations of mistreatment against Venezuelans held in detention.
More than 250 Venezuelans detained in El Salvador’s Cecot prison were repatriated on Friday as part of a previously arranged exchange with the U.S.
Saab stated at a press conference that detainees suffered rights violations, including physical abuse, denial of medical care, and being given inadequate food and water, which led to illness. Videos were presented showing former detainees describing mistreatment and displaying injuries they attributed to their detention.
Alongside Bukele, Venezuela plans to scrutinize the roles of El Salvador’s justice minister, Gustavo Villatoro, and its prison director, Osiris Luna Meza. Bukele’s office had not yet commented on the matter.
The Venezuelans were transferred from the U.S. to El Salvador in March after the Trump administration used the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to bypass standard immigration procedures while deporting individuals accused of gang affiliation.
The move faced condemnation from rights organizations and legal challenges. Relatives and lawyers of some deportees disputed their alleged connections to criminal groups.
The former detainees arrived near Caracas on Friday, where some families were able to reunite, though they have yet to return home.
Yajaira Fuenmayor, mother of released detainee Alirio Guillermo Belloso, shared that she was preparing his favorite meal in welcome.
Government officials stated that the men would undergo medical and procedural reviews before being released. Authorities have maintained that the detentions in El Salvador were unlawful and that only a small number of those returned had significant criminal backgrounds.
Venezuela's opposition has frequently accused President Nicolás Maduro and his administration of subjecting activists and others to comparable conditions domestically.
Recently, the U.S. reported that 80 Venezuelans would be freed as part of the same agreement that secured the release of 10 U.S. citizens held in Venezuela.
The legal rights organization Foro Penal noted that 48 Venezuelans classified as political detainees had been released but expressed concern over the lack of an official list to confirm details. They cautioned that some circulating lists included names of individuals not recognized as political prisoners.
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