El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele isn’t buying the torture claims of a deported migrant. With a pointed video release, he’s challenging accusations that Kilmar Abrego Garcia suffered brutal treatment while imprisoned in his country.
According to Just the News, Bukele shared footage showing Abrego Garcia engaging in leisure activities like soccer and gardening during his detention. This directly contradicts the migrant’s allegations of beatings and psychological torment in an El Salvadoran facility.
Abrego Garcia, who was ruled to have been improperly deported to El Salvador, has since returned to the United States. He now faces human smuggling charges in Tennessee while his legal team fights to prevent another deportation.
The video reel, released by Bukele, paints a picture of a detainee far from suffering. Instead of a tortured man, we see someone seemingly comfortable—hardly the image of starvation or abuse.
Bukele didn’t stop at visuals; he took to social media to drive his point home. “If he’d been tortured, sleep-deprived, and starved, why does he look so well in every picture?” he questioned, noting the absence of bruises or signs of distress.
Let’s be real: Bukele’s got a point worth considering. If the claims were true, wouldn’t there be some physical evidence, especially with footage spanning months, including a visit from a U.S. senator?
Abrego Garcia’s story emerged in a court filing by his attorneys. They’re pushing a Maryland federal judge to block another deportation, alleging he endured severe mistreatment while detained.
Specifically, he claims beatings and psychological torture during his time in custody. It’s a heavy accusation meant to sway the court, but it’s now under scrutiny with Bukele’s rebuttal.
The Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security isn’t swayed either. They’ve dismissed Abrego Garcia’s account as a “sob story,” standing firm on their view that he’s tied to the dangerous MS-13 gang.
During his detention, Abrego Garcia was initially held at El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CEDOT. This facility, built under Bukele’s aggressive anti-gang policies, later transferred him to a lower-security prison.
Bukele’s crackdown on gang violence has been both praised and criticized, but he argues it’s effective. His video suggests that even high-security centers like CEDOT aren’t the hellholes some claim them to be.
Yet, one wonders if leisure activities tell the whole story. While the footage raises doubts, it’s fair to ask if unseen abuses could still have occurred behind closed doors.
The clash between Abrego Garcia’s claims and Bukele’s evidence puts accountability in the crosshairs. If torture did happen, there must be proof beyond personal accounts; if not, why craft such a narrative?
From a conservative lens, this case highlights how often emotional appeals are weaponized to dodge consequences, especially in immigration disputes. Still, we must remain open to the possibility of mistreatment, ensuring justice isn’t blinded by skepticism.
Bukele’s response, backed by video and a visit from Sen. Chris Van Hollen, leans heavily on transparency. As this legal battle unfolds in U.S. courts, the truth—whether sobering or staged—must prevail over agenda-driven narratives.
