El Salvador President Nayib Bukele reportedly delivered a biting and sarcastic response Tuesday to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after she criticized conditions at the country’s high-security Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT.
Bukele’s remarks came after Clinton shared a post on X promoting a “Frontline” documentary titled “Surviving CECOT.” The episode focused on the prison and featured accounts from inmates who claimed they were wrongly labeled as gang members by the Trump administration and deported to El Salvador without evidence. Clinton framed the documentary as an invitation to learn more about the prison and raised concerns about alleged abuses.
Bukele responded directly and sharply. “Madam Secretary Hillary Clinton, If you are convinced that torture is taking place at CECOT, El Salvador is ready to cooperate fully,” he wrote. He then proposed what he described as a straightforward solution: releasing the entire prison population to any country willing to take them in.
“We are willing to release our entire prison population (including all gang leaders and all those described as ‘political prisoners’) to any country willing to receive them,” Bukele said. “The only condition is straightforward: it must be everyone.”
The Salvadoran president suggested such a move would make it easier for journalists and international advocacy groups to collect testimony critical of his government. He said releasing all inmates would greatly expand the pool of voices willing to echo allegations made against CECOT, if those claims truly reflect a broader reality.
“Surely, if these testimonies reflect a systemic reality, a much larger pool of sources should only reinforce the claim,” Bukele wrote, adding that governments around the world should be eager to offer protection if the accusations are legitimate. Until that happens, he said, his administration will remain focused on protecting the rights of law-abiding Salvadorans.
“Until then, we will continue prioritizing the human rights of the millions of Salvadorans who today live free from gang rule,” Bukele said.
The exchange unfolded amid broader media controversy over coverage of CECOT. It followed CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss’s decision to pull a “60 Minutes” segment centered on the prison. Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi publicly objected, claiming the piece was pulled for political reasons. Weiss countered that the segment was not ready to air and lacked sufficient context.
“Holding stories that aren’t ready for whatever reason happens every day in every newsroom,” Weiss said, adding she expects the piece to air once those issues are resolved.
Despite being pulled in the United States, a shortened version of the segment briefly appeared on Global TV’s Canadian website and app before being removed, after which it began circulating online. In the segment, imprisoned men described what they claimed were physical and sexual abuses during months spent inside CECOT.
The debate over the prison intensified after the Trump administration announced earlier this year that it was working with Bukele’s government to send certain detained migrants to CECOT. The prison has become a symbol of Bukele’s aggressive campaign against gangs, which he credits with dramatically improving public safety in El Salvador.
On Monday, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to allow the return of more than 100 Venezuelan men who were deported to CECOT under the Alien Enemies Act, giving them the chance to contest their cases in U.S. court.
Bukele’s response to Clinton underscored his unapologetic defense of the prison and his broader security strategy, making clear he has little patience for criticism from international figures he believes overlook the violence his policies were designed to end.
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