MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bukele offers Rubio to house US prison inmates for a fee

“The fee would be relatively low for the U.S. but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable,” Bukele argued

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele Monday offered US Secretary of State Marco Rubio the opportunity to “outsource” its prison system to house the most controversial convicted criminals in the Central American country “for a fee”.

“We have offered the United States of America the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system,” Bukele wrote in English on X. ”We are willing to take in only convicted criminals (including convicted U.S. citizens) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in exchange for a fee,“ he added. ”The fee would be relatively low for the U.S. but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable.“

Bukele and Rubio met Monday, as the newly appointed US official made the second stop of his Latin American tour, which kicked off in Panama. There, he discussed Chinese control of the iconic waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

After the three-hour encounter at the Salvadoran president's estate on Lake Coatepeque, Rubio told reporters about Bukele's offer regarding convicted criminals of any nationality, particularly those from organizations such as MS-13 and the Tren de Aragua.

”No country has ever made an offer of friendship like this,“ Rubio stressed. He also said he discussed the proposal with US President Donald Trump. He also dubbed the initiative a sign of the close relationship between Bukele and the US.

Bukele also said such an understanding would represent an ”unprecedented immigration agreement” and a milestone in cooperation on security and deportations.