MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bukele becomes first LatAm leader Trump welcomes at White House

Bukele insisted he does not have the authority to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States

Presidents Donald Trump of the United States and Nayib Bukele of El Salvador got together Monday morning at the White House, marking the Central American visitor the first Latin American leader to he hosted by the Republican head of State since his return to office. It was also the first visit by a Salvadoran president since 2014, when Barack Obama welcomed Salvador Sánchez Cerén.

The gathering took place after Bukele accepted deported migrants, including alleged MS-13 and Tren de Aragua gang members, into El Salvador’s Cecot maximum security prison for US$ 6 million annually.

Trump praised Bukele for his “incredible work” and called him “an excellent president.” In return, Bukele expressed readiness to assist the US on crime issues.

Key US figures like Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended.

Regarding the controversy over Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran reportedly living legally in Maryland, mistakenly deported to the Cecot in March, Bukele said he would not be returning him to the United States. He claimed to lack the authority to order such a move, in addition to labelling the inmate ”a terrorist.”

While US Attorney General Pam Bondi said it was El Salvador’s decision, the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled that the Trump administration must facilitate Garcia’s release, but additional legal proceedings are ongoing. Garcia’s lawyers maintain he has no gang ties or criminal record, and his deportation was an “administrative error.”

Trump also floated the idea of sending US citizens convicted of violent crimes to Salvadoran prisons, though legal scholars cite constitutional barriers. In a 1936 case, Valentine v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that a president cannot extradite a US citizen except by an act of Congress.

”These barbarians are now in the sole custody of El Salvador, a proud and sovereign nation, and their future depends on President B (as he named Bukele),“ Trump noted on social media while downplaying human rights concerns regarding the Cecot facility.

Rubio confirmed Sunday that an additional 10 alleged ”criminals from the MS-13 and Tren de Aragua Foreign Terrorist Organizations arrived in El Salvador“ and insisted that the alliance between the two countries ”has become an example for security and prosperity in our hemisphere.“

In an updated Travel Advisory, the US last week said visitors should ”exercise normal precautions in El Salvador,“ where ”gang activity has decreased over the last three years.“

Asked if he would be returning García to the United States, Bukele, who is perfectly fluent in English, replied that such a question was ”preposterous.“

”How can I return him to the United States?“ he added. ”I smuggle him into the United States or what do I do? Of course, I'm not going to do it. The question is preposterous!“

Bondi insisted that the final call was ”up to El Salvador“ but noted that ”first and foremost, he was illegally in our country.” The Supreme Court on Thursday said the Trump administration must facilitate the release of the Maryland man from custody in El Salvador but ordered additional proceedings before a federal district court.