Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — El Salvador risks becoming a “large international prison,” the archbishop of San Salvador warned Sunday, following a wave of U.S. deportations that included alleged gang members from Venezuela and El Salvador.
Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas voiced his concerns during a press conference, urging Salvadoran authorities to reject policies that allow the country to receive foreign detainees en masse.
His remarks follow the March deportation of 238 Venezuelans, alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang, and 23 Salvadoran nationals linked to MS-13. All were transferred to the government’s high-security Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT.
“We are also concerned about the fact that El Salvador is receiving prisoners from other countries, whether because they have committed serious crimes or are undocumented migrants,” Escobar Alas said.
“We ask our authorities not to allow our country to become a large international prison.”
While acknowledging that the government may be motivated by a desire to improve the treatment of Salvadoran migrants abroad, the archbishop warned against compromising national interests.
“It is not in the interest of any country to be a prison for other countries—much less for a country as large as the United States,” he added.
Since the initial flights, other groups of foreign detainees have arrived and been incarcerated in CECOT, a flagship prison hailed by President Nayib Bukele’s administration as the most secure in Latin America.
Escobar Alas emphasized that sovereign nations should adjudicate crimes committed within their territories and called for a reaffirmation of El Salvador’s autonomy.
“We must fight for our country to be respected so we can live in peace,” he said. “I hope El Salvador is respected and its autonomy and integrity are respected.”
The archbishop also addressed the case of Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran deported from the United States despite having no criminal record and a court order protecting him from removal.
His case sparked political outcry and legal concern on both sides of the border.
Escobar Alas urged authorities to provide fair treatment. “He should be treated in accordance with the law and justice,” he said.
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen recently confirmed that Ábrego García had been transferred from CECOT to a lower-security facility in Santa Ana, following pressure from human rights advocates.
