FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
One of the world's most controversial prisons has been the focus of a new documentary from Britain's Channel 5, offering rare glimpses from inside the Center for the Control of Terrorism (CECOT) in El Salvador, the giant prison that is the main tool of President Nayib Bukele's government in its war on gangs.
Presenter Richard Mandley, a member of the first British television crew to be given access to the facility, described the footage as unprecedented.
"I've never seen people in such a state and held in such conditions ," he said. The prison opened its doors in 2023 and has since sparked strong international reactions. At the same time, it became known outside Latin America when the Donald Trump administration sent prisoners there from Venezuela.
In the images captured in the documentary, thousands of prisoners are seen sitting in endless rows of cells. All have shaved heads, wear the same white uniform and follow strict rules of discipline.
Life without darkness and without freedom
The prison director, Belarmino Garcia, had previously described CECOT as a "graveyard of living people," a phrase that, according to what is presented in the documentary, is not far from reality.
The projector lights stay on 24 hours a day so that prisoners never experience true darkness.
When Mandley asked why the lights weren't turned off even during recess hours, Garcia replied that it was simply part of safety protocol. "I need to be able to see what they're doing," he said.
Prisoners sleep on metal beds without mattresses, receive approximately 1,800 calories a day and, according to the report, the only object they have for entertainment is the Bible.
Their daily lives are confined almost entirely to large cells. As reported in the documentary, prisoners spend about 23.5 hours a day either in their cells or under restraint, with only half an hour for exercise and Bible study.
Mandley also mentions that there is a special "electronic bubble" around the prison, which allegedly renders any electronic devices illegally brought into the complex useless.
Discipline and absolute isolation
One of the things that most impressed the British presenter was the absolute obedience of the detainees.
Many of them are accused of participating in the notorious MS-13 and Barrio 18 gangs, which have been linked to murders, extortion and violent criminal activity in El Salvador for years.
Despite their difficult past, the prisoners seem to follow the orders of prison officers meticulously and do not speak unless spoken to.
"I can't imagine a prison in the UK where prisoners would be so submissive," Mandley commented.
According to the prison director, this behavior is due to the strict discipline that is enforced.
Violations are punished by transfer to special isolation cells for up to 30 days. These cells are described as completely dark and completely silent. Prisoners are required to move by touch to find the metal bed, sink and toilet.
Mandley commented that after such an experience, returning to the main part of the prison can feel like freedom.
There are a total of 96 isolation cells in the complex, although Garcia claims they are rarely used.
The director insisted that the prisoners' human rights were being respected and that all had access to food and legal proceedings. However, when the presenter continued with questions about the conditions of detention, the documentary team was asked to leave the premises.
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