Peru is considering transferring what it deems to be highly dangerous foreign inmates to El Salvador’s controversial mega-prison, Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzén announced on Thursday, according to CNN. The potential move mirrors recent U.S. actions that have involved funding El Salvador to detain alleged gang members, particularly Venezuelan migrants.
While Adrianzén did not specify the terms of any formal agreement, the suggestion raises significant questions about the scope of the plan. It remains unclear whether only Salvadoran nationals imprisoned in Peru would be returned, or if the proposal includes other foreign inmates as well.
If enacted, Peru would be sending inmates to the CECOT prison, El Salvador’s maximum, security facility that has drawn widespread criticism from international human rights organizations for its harsh conditions and treatment of prisoners.
In the same briefing, Adrianzén revealed that Peru is also seeking financing from international development banks to construct new prisons in response to severe overcrowding and a surge in violent crime.
To combat rising insecurity, the Peruvian government has declared multiple states of emergency across the country, including the capital, Lima. One of the most violent recent incidents occurred in May, when illegal miners abducted and murdered 13 mine workers in the northern district of Pataz.