FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Their heads have been shaved. Under Donald Trump's second presidency, more than 200 suspected gang members and terrorists have been deported and are now in a prison in El Salvador.
How long they will have to stay in prison is unclear. There is no trial date yet. As President Trump has announced, many more will follow. He is supported by the President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele. A real friendship has apparently developed between the “coolest dictator in the world,” as he calls himself, and President Trump, in recent weeks.
A meeting between friends with a pompous reception
At least that's what the photos Bukele and the White House posted on X after one of his visits suggest. While Trump calls him a "true partner of the US," Bukele wrote "friends." He then shares a video of the two from the White House and writes: "I miss you already, President T."
The lavish reception, including a military honor guard and flags, is intended to strengthen the bond between the two, US media write. Trump's deportation plans go even further: he would also like to deport criminal US citizens to prisons in El Salvador - something that is still unclear legally. Of course, this requires space - Bukele would have to build "five new prisons", Trump said in the interview.
More about El Salvador
When former US President Joe Biden was still in the Oval Office, such cooperation would have been unthinkable. Due to several alleged human rights violations, Bukele has so far been shunned as a negotiating partner. But not now with Trump.
Bukele is often criticized for the fact that prisoners never see the inside of a courtroom and have no chance of a fair trial. However, the president of El Salvador does not stop at such accusations. "If you want to free 350 million people, you have to lock some of them up," he says in response to such accusations.
Friends ??????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/tMJHMf7pT4
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) April 14, 2025
More security since 2019
Nayib Bukele has been president of El Salvador since 2019 and has criticized both the traditional left and the right in the country. The 43-year-old is well-liked by many residents because he promises more security and to fight corruption.
With his strict lockdown tactics based on emergency laws, he has indeed massively reduced the crime rate in his country in a short period of time. This has certainly impressed Donald Trump. "Sometimes they say we have locked up thousands. I like to say we have freed millions of people," Bukele said of this development. Trump seems to like this phrase so much that during a conversation at the White House he leaned over and asked: "Who gave him these lines, do you think I can have them too?"
Criticism and protests
But Bukele is also criticized by many. He is accused of showing authoritarian tendencies by weakening democratic institutions – for example, by dismissing constitutional judges and the Attorney General in 2021. He is also using the army and police to intimidate the opposition, which human rights organizations have criticized. There are repeated protests because people have been unjustly imprisoned. This does not seem to affect the new bromance.
Lini një Përgjigje