The United States’ deportation of suspected gang members to El Salvador is condemned by Venezuela

Venezuela has denounced as unlawful and a violation of human rights the United States’ repatriation of suspected gang members to El Salvador.

Invoking a seldom applied wartime provision to transfer more than 200 suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua to El Salvador has drawn harsh criticism from Venezuela. 

A US judge quickly rejected the contentious decision, which infuriated Caracas, which referred to it as a human rights violation.

Venezuela’s government denounced the deportation in a statement on Sunday, describing it as “anachronistic, illegal, and in violation of human rights.” Additionally, the statement expressed “profound indignation” over reports that deported minors as young as 14 were among them.

The presidential office of El Salvador has not yet responded to the matter, and it is yet unknown whether minors were included in the deportation or what penalties the accused gang members would face in the nation.

President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador verified on X (formerly Twitter) that 238 suspected Tren de Aragua members had arrived in the nation. They were taken right away to a detention facility for terrorists, where they will remain for a year, with the possibility of an extension.

In an internal memo, Bukele also disclosed that the United States will reimburse El Salvador $6 million for the agreement. “The United States will pay a very low fee for them, but a high one for us,” he said, implying that El Salvador will face a significantly greater financial burden.

As part of its own campaign against organized crime, El Salvador has also deported 23 members of the Salvadoran gang MS-13.

Venezuela has urged the international community to act against what it has dubbed a “dangerous precedent” for the region, especially the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

Concerns regarding human rights abuses in the treatment of suspected gang members have been raised by the expulsion, which has further strained ties between the US and Venezuela. The legal and diplomatic ramifications of this contentious action are still unknown as global criticism grows.