On Monday, July 21, Attorney General Tarek William Saab held a televised press conference to announce that he will investigate human rights abuses against Venezuelans recently released from El Salvador. Photo: Globovisión.
Guacamaya, July 21, 2025. Attorney General Tarek William Saab stated that he will investigate abuses against Venezuelan migrants who were deported to El Salvador earlier this year and were repatriated this month.
The head of the Public Ministry presented “compelling evidence revealing a series of serious violations against Venezuelan migrants detained in El Salvador” during the press conference. He explained that he has “testimonies and evidence showing that a group of young Venezuelans was subjected to torture and inhumane treatment.”
According to Saab, the detainees suffered human rights abuses, ranging from sexual assault to beatings, were denied medical care or treated without anesthesia, and were given food and water that made them sick.
In March, the U.S. government sent at least 238 Venezuelans to El Salvador to be imprisoned in CECOT, a mega-prison for violent “gang members.” All these migrants were accused of being members of the Tren de Aragua and were deported under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. Later, the Venezuelan government claimed that 252 of its citizens were in this situation.
Several investigations have found that most of these migrants had no criminal records or arrest warrants; they had simply crossed the border illegally or overstayed their permitted time in the country.
On July 18, the U.S. government used these migrants as bargaining chips to secure the release of five of its nationals and five other permanent residents imprisoned in Venezuela. The U.S. is also said to have secured the release of around 80 political prisoners in Venezuela, in a process allegedly mediated by former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
