Rights Groups Decry Treatment of Venezuelan Migrants ⁤in El Salvador

SAN SALVADOR,El Salvador – Human ​rights organizations are raising concerns about the‍ detention of ​over 250 Venezuelan⁢ migrants in⁣ El Salvador’s Center ​for Confinement for​ Terrorism (CECOT),alleging violations of due process and ‍human rights.

Migrants Held Without Due Process,‍ Advocates Say

Chrysal and Robert⁢ F.Kennedy Human Rights addressed the situation at a recent press conference, highlighting ‌the ​plight of migrants‌ deported from the United States‍ who now face detention in El Salvador. The⁣ groups contend that ⁣these individuals‍ are being held arbitrarily and⁣ are in a​ vulnerable state.

Noah Bullock, director of Chrysal,⁢ stated that a meaningful‍ portion of the detainees had legal protections in the U.S. “Approximately 40% of the group, ⁣representing 55% of the 250⁤ deported too CECOT, possessed some form of migratory⁣ protection, either Temporary ​Protected Status​ (TPS), were in the⁢ process of ​requesting asylum, or had already been granted asylum,” Bullock ⁣said.​ He ⁤added that nearly 90% had no ⁢prior‌ criminal record.

Chrysal has established a platform ⁣for affected families to file complaints, ‌with 139 families already registered. According to⁤ Bullock, Cristosal has filed 39 Habeas Corpus petitions before El Salvador’s​ constitutional Chamber.

Allegations of‌ Inhumane⁣ Conditions

Kerry Kennedy, president of Robert F. Kennedy ‍Human Rights,​ described the conditions of‌ detention as ⁣inhumane. “They told us that they were given a hunger ‌diet, they denied water, they denied their food, they denied access to medical care that they desperately needed,”⁣ Kennedy said.”They were denied access to their lawyers.”

Kennedy ‌also noted that requests ⁢to visit ​10 Venezuelan migrants represented by the organization have gone unanswered, raising fears of forced disappearance.

Lack of Government Transparency

The human Rights Delegation,‍ led by Kennedy, reported that requests to meet with officials from the presidency, vice presidency, ⁣and the Salvadoran Foreign ministry have been ignored.

“We have come here to meet⁤ with our⁣ clients and check how the American resident ⁤Kílmar Abrego García is, and to analyze and document the human rights situation here ‌in El​ Salvador,” Kennedy stated. “Despite ⁢the rights that our clients⁤ and thousands of⁤ Salvadorans have to be attended ⁢by⁣ their lawyers, the Government of El⁣ salvador, starting with President Bukele,​ did not respect⁤ these rights; his ⁤lawyers ​denied us access to our ‍clients.”

Concerns ​Over Criminalization⁤ of Migrants

The‍ exchange‌ and solidarity center (CIS) has also voiced concerns over‍ what it describes as the criminalization of migrants. Leslie Schuld, director of CIS, drew parallels ‌to past instances of restrictive measures⁢ against ‌foreigners.

Schuld cited examples ⁢of arbitrary arrests, including individuals detained based on tattoos or perceived⁢ associations. “As we have‌ seen in ⁤the reports, people ⁢have captured for having an ⁣autism tattoo, as his brother is autistic. A Venezuelan‍ who ⁢is gay, who makes makeup for ⁣beauty ​competitions, for his crown of‍ beauty competition is captured and sent to⁢ Cecot,” Schuld said.

Ingrid Escobar, director of ‌Humanitarian Legal Socorro, ‌emphasized the alleged systemic violation of rights, stating that the⁣ migrants have ⁣been denied due process, the right to a hearing, the ​right to defense, and ⁤the presumption of innocence.

Key Findings from Chrysal’s Report

Chrysal’s report highlights several key ‌findings:

• In‍ 48% of registered cases, detainees are accused of committing a crime, often related⁤ to alleged gang affiliation.
• onyl 13% of cases⁢ indicate a ‌prior⁣ criminal⁢ record.
• U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)⁣ executed the ⁤majority of arrests (94%).
• Families⁤ frequently enough knew the location‍ of‍ their loved ones in the U.S.prior to deportation (95%), and some were able to communicate with‍ them while detained in the U.S. (33%).
• Dialog has been “non-existent” following⁤ transfer to El Salvador.

Next Steps

The organizations plan to ‍present a report to⁢ the⁢ U.S. Congress and the United Nations regarding the situation ​of the Venezuelan migrants held in El Salvador.

The press conference ‍underscored international ⁤concern over what⁣ human rights advocates⁣ are calling a human rights crisis affecting ⁤Venezuelan migrants, many of‌ whom lack proven criminal ties.