Nayib Bukele, the President of El Salvador, has refuted allegations that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an immigrant returned to the United States after an erroneous deportation, was subjected to torture within a Salvadoran prison.
Abrego Garcia, in a U.S. court filing, detailed his experiences inside the Salvadoran high-security prison CECOT, alleging severe maltreatment. His legal counsel maintains that he suffered a substantial weight loss of 31 pounds in a fortnight and was subjected to harsh treatment, including, but not limited to, severe beatings, sleep deprivation, inadequate nutrition, and psychological torture.
President Bukele, in a social media post, contested these claims vehemently. He stated, ‘The man wasn’t tortured, nor did he lose weight.’ He further questioned the validity of the allegations by asking why Abrego Garcia appeared well in every available image.
This development follows earlier reports that Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident and spouse to a U.S. citizen, was mistakenly deported to El Salvador on March 15, an act that contravened a 2019 immigration court ruling that protected him from deportation due to the risk he faced from gangs in El Salvador. This incident was labeled by officials as an ‘administrative error.’
Critics of U.S. President Donald Trump have seized upon this case as evidence of his administration prioritizing escalated deportations over the principle of due process. President Trump, on the other hand, has made assertions that Abrego Garcia is affiliated with the notorious MS-13 gang, a claim that his legal representatives vehemently deny.
The Justice Department, on June 6, brought Abrego Garcia back to the United States on the grounds of an indictment that accused him of operating with at least five co-conspirators in a smuggling ring to facilitate illegal immigration. Abrego Garcia, currently held in Tennessee awaiting trial, has pleaded not guilty, and the government has signaled its intent to deport him again.