A Bold Counter-Proposal

When former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called out conditions in El Salvador's prisons this week, President Nayib Bukele didn't exactly issue a standard diplomatic response. Instead, he made an offer that's somewhere between serious policy proposal and elaborate trolling.

In an X post Tuesday, Bukele said El Salvador will "cooperate fully" and proposed releasing the entire prison population to any country willing to receive them. The catch? It has to include everyone, gang leaders and all.

"This would also greatly assist journalists and your favorite NGOs, who would then have thousands of former inmates available for interviews, making it far easier to find additional voices critical of the Salvadoran government," Bukele wrote, taking a clear jab at his critics.

Until that happens, Bukele said his government will prioritize the human rights of Salvadoran people, who he claimed are living "free from gang rule."

What Sparked the Exchange

Bukele's response came after Clinton shared a Frontline documentary about Venezuelan men deported by the Donald Trump administration to El Salvador's "brutal" CECOT prison, where they allegedly endured human rights violations.

The allegations aren't new. Venezuelan authorities initiated an inquiry earlier this year to probe alleged human rights violations of detained Venezuelans, including sexual abuse and beatings. Bukele refuted those accusations at the time.

According to Amnesty International, El Salvador's prison situation is "alarming," characterized by prolonged solitary confinement, extreme overcrowding, lack of timely medical care and systematic torture.

But Bukele has high-profile supporters too. Elon Musk has backed his stance on strong law enforcement and a "tough" prison system as key to reducing crime.

The Deportation Controversy

Trump struck a deal with Bukele's government for accepting custody of individuals identified as criminals by the U.S. administration. But controversy erupted after Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident, was found to have been deported due to an "administrative error."

Leading Democratic figures raised alarms after a CBS News investigation into these deportations to El Salvador was pulled, alleging political pressure from Trump allies influenced the decision.

Beyond the prison debate, El Salvador under Bukele has made headlines for its pioneering embrace of Bitcoin (BTC). The country adopted the digital asset as a legal tender in 2021, making it the first nation to do so.