In a bold move, President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador has suggested a prisoner swap with Venezuela, offering to return 252 Venezuelans deported from the United States in exchange for an equal number of political prisoners currently held in Venezuela. Bukele’s appeal to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was communicated through a post on social media, highlighting the contentious nature of both countries' political climates.

Bukele argued that many of the Venezuelans have been incarcerated for severe crimes such as "rape and murder," whereas he contended that the political prisoners in Venezuela are imprisoned solely for opposing Maduro's regime, which is under scrutiny for its controversial re-election process last year. Rights organizations have criticized the Venezuelan government’s assertion that political prisoners do not exist, presenting a stark contrast between the two leaderships.

In his message, Bukele emphasized the humanitarian aspect of his proposal, stating, "I want to propose you [Maduro] a humanitarian agreement calling for the repatriation of 100% of the 252 Venezuelans who were deported, in exchange for the release... of the identical number from among the thousands of political prisoners that you hold." Furthermore, he mentioned nearly 50 other non-Venezuelan prisoners, including US citizens, in the proposed exchange.

Responses from the Venezuelan government have yet to emerge regarding Bukele's offer, which adds to the tension between the nations. The US has recently deported over 200 Venezuelans back to El Salvador, with allegations from the Trump administration linking these deportees to the Tren de Aragua criminal gang.

Washington also pays El Salvador to hold these individuals in its notorious high-security institutions. Since the onset of Trump's administration, strict policies around immigration have faced legal challenges, further complicating the situation. In a recent ruling, the US Supreme Court ordered a temporary halt to the deportation of another group of Venezuelan gang suspects, with the White House labeling challenges to these mass deportations as "meritless litigation." The legal basis for the deportations stems from the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a law historically used only during times of war.