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Latin Times
Latin Times
Politics
Pedro Camacho

Venezuelan Deportees Were Routinely Tortured in El Salvador's CECOT Prison, Human Rights Watchdog Says

Guards escort inmates allegedly linked to criminal organizations at CECOT on March 16, 2025 in Tecoluca, El Salvador. (Credit: Salvadoran Government via Getty Images)

Venezuelan migrants deported by the United States to El Salvador in March and April 2025 were subjected to torture, sexual violence, and other mistreatment inside the country's high-security CECOT prison, according to a 90-page report published Wednesday by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Cristosal.

The organizations said 252 Venezuelans were transferred directly upon arrival to the Terrorism Confinement Center, where detainees faced "systematic human rights violations," including arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance. HRW said both the U.S. and Salvadoran governments refused to disclose the individuals' whereabouts.

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