252 Venezuelan Men Detained at Cecot in El Salvador Amid Accusations of Gang Membership and Systemic Abuse
In El Salvador, 252 Venezuelan men were detained at Cecot based on US accusations of belonging to the Tren de Aragua gang. The detentions lasted approximately four months and involved reports of systemic torture, including beatings, sexual abuse, and near-daily physical and psychological abuse, according to Human Rights Watch and Cristosal. Most detainees were asylum seekers with no criminal records and were held without due process.
In July, the men were released as part of a diplomatic deal between Venezuela and the United States and repatriated to Venezuela. Upon return, the detainees face trauma, flashbacks, and severe economic hardship, complicating their reintegration and ability to support their families. Andry Hernández Romero, a makeup artist who helped style Gabriela Mora—the fiancée of detainee Carlos Uzcátegui—stated that reintegration is painful and that the detainees were used as political props.
Other detainees reported hunger strikes, isolation in a dark room called La Isla, and instances of abuse and medical neglect. These cases drew international attention, with detainees treated more as news stories and political symbols rather than as individuals with rights. Official responses included US claims of gang affiliation, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele promoting joint operations with the US, and the removal of a CBS 60 Minutes episode about Cecot. Some Venezuelan critics expressed concern about possible involvement by the Maduro regime in these events.
