Maduro Claims 324 Venezuelans Deported to El Salvador Prison by the US

CARACAS, 30 March 2025 (BSS/AFP) – Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has claimed that 324 Venezuelan migrants have been transferred by the United States to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador, a higher number than previously reported. However, he also stated that neither Washington nor San Salvador has provided an official list of those detained.

The deportation took place on 16 March under a rarely invoked US wartime law, which allowed for the swift removal of individuals without legal hearings. US authorities allege that the detainees are members of the Tren de Aragua, a notorious Venezuelan criminal gang. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele had earlier stated that only 238 Venezuelans had been transferred.

Maduro, addressing foreign ministers from the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) in Caracas, strongly condemned the move, likening it to historical mass detentions.

“It is an embarrassment that 324 Venezuelan migrants have been kidnapped and forcibly disappeared, taken to what is effectively a Nazi-style concentration camp in El Salvador,” Maduro asserted, though he did not disclose the source of his figures.

Diplomatic Fallout and International Reactions

Maduro criticised the lack of transparency, stating that neither US nor Salvadoran authorities had officially confirmed the identities of the deportees.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez denounced the action, calling it “an atrocious act” and a violation of international human rights norms.

Bolivian Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa similarly condemned the criminalisation of migrants, arguing that “their transfer to detention centres in third countries is unacceptable.”

Legal Action and UN Involvement

Maduro announced that Venezuela has hired a legal team in El Salvador to advocate for the return of the deportees. Additionally, he has appealed to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres for intervention, requesting UN protection for the affected individuals.

Background on US-Venezuela Relations

Diplomatic relations between Venezuela and the United States have been severed since 2019. However, in January 2025, the two nations engaged in negotiations, leading to a temporary agreement on deportation flights. The agreement was suspended when former US President Donald Trump revoked Chevron’s licence to operate in Venezuela, further straining ties.

The deportation flights resumed last week, and as of now, Venezuela has received 743 deportees from the United States, with an additional 229 expected to arrive on Sunday.

Summary of Reported Figures

The situation remains tense, with Venezuela seeking diplomatic and legal means to challenge the deportation process, while the US and El Salvador continue to justify their actions based on alleged criminal affiliations of the detainees.