Two Venezuelan men, Luis Muñoz Pinto and Wuilliam Lozada Sanchez, have spoken out about the brutal treatment they endured while being held in a maximum-security prison in El Salvador after being deported from the US. The men, who had been living in the US as asylum seekers, were sent to the notorious CECOT (Centro de Educación, Contradicción y Observación del Terrorismo) prison under the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law that allows for the detention and deportation of non-citizens deemed a threat to national security.
Pinto and Lozada describe being subjected to physical and psychological abuse, including beatings, torture, and forced labor. They were held in cramped cells with no access to clean water or medical care, and were denied due process. The men claim that they were labeled as gang members simply because of their Venezuelan nationality, despite having no connection to any gangs.
The US government had designated the men as terrorists and claimed that they were part of a violent gang, but Human Rights Watch has found that only eight of the 252 Venezuelans deported to CECOT had been convicted of a crime in the US. The majority had pending charges or no criminal history at all.
Critics argue that the Trump administration's decision to send the men to CECOT was motivated by a desire to make an example out of them and deter other migrants from coming to the US. The administration has denied any wrongdoing, but a federal judge has ruled that the US had maintained "constructive custody" over the deportees.
The treatment of Pinto and Lozada is just one example of the harsh conditions faced by migrants in El Salvador's prison system. Human Rights Watch has documented widespread abuses and human rights violations in CECOT, including torture, forced labor, and denial of due process.
The US government's actions have been widely criticized, both domestically and internationally. The Obama administration had previously cited concerns about the treatment of Venezuelans at CECOT, but the Trump administration's decision to deport them to El Salvador has been seen as a flagrant disregard for human rights and international law.
As the US continues to grapple with its immigration policies, it is essential that policymakers prioritize the humane treatment of migrants and ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect. The cases of Pinto and Lozada serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of treating people as pawns in a game of politics and xenophobia.
Pinto and Lozada describe being subjected to physical and psychological abuse, including beatings, torture, and forced labor. They were held in cramped cells with no access to clean water or medical care, and were denied due process. The men claim that they were labeled as gang members simply because of their Venezuelan nationality, despite having no connection to any gangs.
The US government had designated the men as terrorists and claimed that they were part of a violent gang, but Human Rights Watch has found that only eight of the 252 Venezuelans deported to CECOT had been convicted of a crime in the US. The majority had pending charges or no criminal history at all.
Critics argue that the Trump administration's decision to send the men to CECOT was motivated by a desire to make an example out of them and deter other migrants from coming to the US. The administration has denied any wrongdoing, but a federal judge has ruled that the US had maintained "constructive custody" over the deportees.
The treatment of Pinto and Lozada is just one example of the harsh conditions faced by migrants in El Salvador's prison system. Human Rights Watch has documented widespread abuses and human rights violations in CECOT, including torture, forced labor, and denial of due process.
The US government's actions have been widely criticized, both domestically and internationally. The Obama administration had previously cited concerns about the treatment of Venezuelans at CECOT, but the Trump administration's decision to deport them to El Salvador has been seen as a flagrant disregard for human rights and international law.
As the US continues to grapple with its immigration policies, it is essential that policymakers prioritize the humane treatment of migrants and ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect. The cases of Pinto and Lozada serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of treating people as pawns in a game of politics and xenophobia.
The US government's actions are really messed up 
. Those guys were just trying to escape their home country due to war 
, but instead they're facing human rights abuses 
and being treated like terrorists 
in a maximum-security prison. It's all because of their nationality 
, which is not fair at all 
. I mean, how can you say someone is a terrorist just because they have the same passport as some extremist group? 
That's not justice, that's just plain cruel 
.
. The rest are just innocent guys who happened to be from Venezuela 
.
. We need to make sure that we're treating people with dignity and respect, not just using them to score political points 
. It's time for some real change 
.
i cant even believe what these dudes went thru in that prison they were literally treated like animals no access to water or meds just beatings and torture... it's all about politics not human rights the US gov is always trying to make examples out of ppl but it's not right at all 
we should be worried about people's lives not some policy 
. The fact that most of those 252 Venezuelans had no record or pending charges and were just labeled as terrorists because of their nationality? That's a red flag 
.
. I'm all for keeping our borders secure, but at what cost? The treatment of Pinto and Lozada is just one example of the horrors faced by migrants in El Salvador's prison system 
. It's not about being soft on immigration; it's about treating ppl with dignity and respect 
. I'm still holding out hope that future admins will learn from the mistakes of the past and do better 
.
and its not just them, human rights watch has found all sorts of abuse going on in CECOT... torture, forced labor, denial of due process... it's like, what is wrong with our governments? 
. It sounds like they were basically treated like animals, no regard for their human rights whatsoever 
. I mean, how can you just label someone as a terrorist because of where they're from? 
. The Obama administration was right to speak out against this, and I think we need more voices speaking up for these vulnerable people 
. We need to prioritize humanity over politics, you know? 
we gotta make sure that our government is treating people with dignity and respect, not using them as pawns in a game of politics 
it's wild that the US is basically making an example out of these dudes just to scare others off 
.
. And in 2020 alone, over 500,000 Venezuelans were deported back to their home country... 
. That's like sending millions of people back to a war zone without any support or resources.
. Here are some charts for you:
And then puts 'em in a prison with no water or med care... it's mental 
. The whole system is rigged against migrants, and the gov't is just using them as pawns to make an example out of 'em 
. I mean, 8 ppl deported had even been convicted? 
.
. no human rights, no dignity, just brutal treatment and forced labor. it's like the US government is trying to send a message, but what kind of message is that? 
! they're being tortured, forced to work for free... and all because of their nationality? 
the US gov't is supposed to protect its citizens, but instead it's sending them to a maximum-security prison with no due process?! 
.
.
and some people being treated like dirt 
