El Salvador President Offers to Accept Deported Immigrants from France
On Sunday, El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, expressed his readiness to accept illegal immigrants who have been deported and detained in France, particularly those held at the Secotto Mega prison. This declaration followed a fashion show in Paris that featured a collection by Willie Chavarria, a Mexican-American designer.
Chavarria, who is based in California, showcased designs inspired by his identity as a proud Chicano and queer individual during a recent event in Paris. This show, dubbed “Huron,” presented 35 male models styled as prisoners, wearing oversized white t-shirts and crew cuts while an acoustic version of Jose Feliciano’s “California Dreamin'” played in the background.
Footage from the event depicted models kneeling on the runway, seemingly in submission. The garments were reportedly created in collaboration with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Some reports suggest that Chavarria’s presentation drew unsettling comparisons to the deportation of 252 Venezuelan immigrants earlier this year, who were alleged to be connected to the Tren de Lagua terror group, an action taken under a law established in 1798.
In a tweet late Saturday, Bukele stated, “We are ready to ship all of them to Paris once we get the green light from the French government.” This statement sparked further commentary from El Salvador’s Press Secretariat, which summarized the president’s intent to take a strong stance against what he sees as the glorification of crime.
Later on Sunday, Bukele shared a post that highlighted the dangers of praising criminals, accompanied by a video of an anonymous woman expressing her fears of harassment in Paris. In another tweet, he remarked on the country’s high incarceration rates, noting that over half of the inmates in the system have been rehabilitated and will soon be released.
As of now, French authorities have not publicly addressed Bukele’s approach. Under an ongoing state of emergency since March 2022, Bukele’s administration has implemented significant crackdowns on violent gangs, creating policies that have reportedly reduced crime in a country previously known for high murder rates.
Some regional politicians in Latin America have shown interest in adopting similar security measures inspired by Bukele, including officials from Argentina and Ecuador. Earlier this year, El Salvador saw the deportation of 252 Venezuelan illegal immigrants, raising tensions with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who has criticized Bukele, drawing parallels to historical persecutions and condemning his methods.
Maduro has referred to Bukele as a “low-level monster,” likening him to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite the serious human rights concerns that critics point to. In discussions of the ongoing situation, some believe that human rights groups have allowed themselves to be co-opted in political battles, overlooking rights abuses in favor of targeting certain governments.
