Talks with El Salvador heat up: Trump targets illegal migrants
Donald Trump's crusade against illegal migrants continues. On Friday, the new president's administration announced that it is negotiating with El Salvador to discuss the possibility of transporting illegal migrants from other countries, including dangerous criminals, to this nation.
The special envoy of the State Department for Latin America, Mauricio Claver-Carone, confirmed that Washington would like members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, arrested by U.S. authorities, to be transferred to prisons in El Salvador.
The Trump administration maintains good relations with the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, one of the few world leaders invited to Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony.
Bukele, who describes himself as the "coolest dictator in the world," gained fame for purchasing cryptocurrencies with public funds and for a brutal crackdown on gangs in El Salvador.
2022 he implemented a state of emergency, suspending some civil liberties. Since then, 84,000 people have been detained, which represents over 1% of the country's population. Most of them are held in prisons without a verdict.
Despite criticism from human rights defenders, these actions have contributed to a decline in crime in El Salvador.
Another move by Trump
The attempt to reach an agreement with El Salvador is another recent move by the new president's administration regarding illegal migrants.
On Wednesday, Donald Trump signed an order to build a facility for criminal migrants at the U.S. military base in Guantanamo. The facility is designed to accommodate 30,000 people.
