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U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele to the White House today, the Associated Press reported. Here’s all you need to know about what’s driving the visit and what to expect:
US-El Salvador Relationship: A Strategic Partnership?
- El Salvador has become a key ally in Trump’s mass deportation strategy. Since March, it has accepted over 200 Venezuelan immigrants accused by U.S. officials of gang activity and violent crimes, the Associated Press reported. The deportees are being held at a notorious maximum-security prison near San Salvador. The Trump administration, however, has not provided evidence of the deportees’ criminal activity or their identities.
- Reports suggest Bukele agreed to a $6 million deal from the U.S. to imprison the Venezuelans for a year and when a US federal judge tried to halt a deportation flight, Bukele mocked the ruling online, reportedly saying, “Oopsie … too late.” He rose to power during Trump’s first term and is believed to have curried favor by reducing Salvadoran migration to the US.
Concerns Over Legal Violations
- The meeting comes at a time after a deportee — Kilmar Abrego Garcia from Maryland — was wrongly deported despite a court order preventing it. Reacting to the outcry over mistaken deportation, Trump reportedly said, “He’s [Bukele] doing a fantastic job… We have some very bad people in that prison.”
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio also praised Bukele’s cooperation, suggesting that “he has been a good friend to the United States.” Their remarks came after the Supreme Court recently allowed deportations under the Alien Enemies Act but required hearings first.
- White House aide Stephen Miller, on the other hand, reportedly said that it’s up to El Salvador to decide the fate of its citizens: “We can’t extradite citizens of foreign countries to our country over the objection of those countries.”
Human Rights Concerns in El Salvador
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- According to the AP report, El Salvador has been under a state of emergency that paves the way for the suspension of some civil rights for three years as part of Bukele’s gang crackdown.
- An estimated total of over 84,000 people have been arrested during Bukele’s three-year crackdown on gangs, and the massive prison in Tecoluca was built to house suspected gang members, the report said, adding that Bukele enjoys strong domestic popularity despite rights concerns.
- Interestingly, just before Bukele’s visit, the State Department upgraded El Salvador’s travel advisory to Level 1, citing a drop in gang violence.
Potential Tariff Relief On the Horizon?
Reports suggest Bukele could ask Trump to lift the 10% tariff imposed on El Salvador, citing economic harm to his country. Meanwhile, Bukele’s ambassador to the U.S., Milena Mayorga, has reportedly said that having gang leaders face justice in El Salvador was “an issue of honor”.
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