FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, April 11, 2025

Media Inquiries Contact: press@alianzaamericas.org 

Cindy Cruz - El Salvador +503 7803 8465

Sandra Diaz - United States (773) 638-4278

Alianza Americas expresses concern about President Nayib Bukele's official visit to the White House, an event that represents an alarm signal for those who defend human rights, the rule of law, and democracy in the region. This meeting marks a disturbing turn in U.S. foreign policy, legitimizing a president who won a second term in office through an unconstitutional reelection, in clear violation of the Salvadoran Constitution. 

Bukele's visit represents diplomatic recognition of his illegitimate government and is a clear sign of support for a president who has called himself a 'cool dictator' and has ruled under a state of emergency extended for over three years. In that period, thousands of people, many of them innocent, have been arbitrarily arrested, continue to be deprived of their right to due process, and imprisoned in inhumane conditions.

In addition, this visit takes place in the context of a deepening externalization of U.S. immigration policy, a practice that has been in place since the Biden administration. The government of El Salvador, under the Bukele administration, is now complicit in illegal actions promoted by the Trump administration, including the detention and deportation of migrants and non-nationals, often without respecting legal procedures or court orders.

We are particularly alarmed by the growing collaboration between the two administrations to detain and transfer migrants to El Salvador without a clear legal basis and minimum human rights guarantees. The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran immigrant protected by U.S. justice who was deported along with several Venezuelan citizens currently detained in the maximum security prison in El Salvador, exemplifies this dangerous complicity. These types of practices are not only illegal and inhumane but also constitute a dangerous commodification of the lives of migrants. Despite official statements, the responsibility for Kilmar Ábrego's release rests with the Salvadoran regime and the U.S. government, which has the means to ensure his safe return to the United States.

The negotiation of a new agreement to transfer people deported from the United States to Salvadoran territory leads us to question: What is the legal basis for sending migrants to a third country where they have not committed any crime? Why does immigration policy continue to be used as a tool for repression, evasion of responsibilities, and criminalization of those seeking protection?

Citizens in El Salvador and the United States, including migrant communities and their families, deserve governments that act justly, respect human rights, and uphold the rule of law. No agreement that violates these principles should be tolerated or entered into.

Alianza Americas reaffirms its conviction that democracy is not measured by a ruler's popularity but by their ability to respect the law, protect human rights, and govern with transparency. The United States should not legitimize authoritarianism or reward a lack of due process.

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Alianza Americas is the premier transnational advocacy network of Latin American migrant-led organizations working in the United States, across the Americas, and globally to create an inclusive, equitable and sustainable way of life for communities across North, Central and South America.

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