The harsh conditions of El Salvador’s maximum-security Terrorism Confinement Centre (CECOT) have come to light following the transfer of 238 alleged criminals from the United States. The deportation, which bypassed a federal judge’s ruling, was carried out using an 18th-century law designed for wartime. The U.S. government has labeled the group as part of a Venezuelan gang involved in crimes like kidnapping and contract killings. The transfer was arranged through an agreement between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, who touted the initiative as beneficial for both countries in the fight against organized crime.

CECOT, notorious for its brutal conditions, houses tens of thousands of inmates, often overcrowded and forced to compete for basic resources like food and water. Cells are cramped, with no mattresses, blankets, or ventilation. Inmates, after having their heads shaved, wear simple white clothing and eat with their hands. The facility operates with constant artificial lighting and hooded guards armed with firearms overseeing the cells. Conditions are so dire that former UN officials have described it as a “concrete and steel pit” where inmates endure inhumane treatment.