When josé manuel ramos basastidas finally reunited with his family in el toocuyo, venezuella, it marked the end of an order it began with his deportation by the trump administration and end with what. “State-Sanctioned Torture” Inside El Salvador’s notroous centro de Confinamiento del terrorismo (Cecot) Megaprison. His Emotional Return was captured as his wife, and mother embraced him wearing shirts printed with his image image.
“We have been waiting for this moment for Months, and I feel like I can finally breathe,” Said his partner, Roynerliz rodríguez, according to The Guardian. “These last months have been a living nightmare … there must be justice for all those who sucfered this torture.”
Ramos Bastidas was one of 252 venezuelan men deported to cect as part of a deal Negotiated between the us and venezulan president nicolás maduro. The Agreement Reportedly Involved The Release of 10 detained us citizens and Several Venezuelan Political Prisoners in Exchange for the deported endiduals.
The men were finally repatriated last week.
Torture Allegations and Brutality Inside Cecot
Lawyers Representing the men say many endured routine beatings, psychological torture, and women deprivation. Ramos Bastidas and others were allegly told they would spend between 30 and 90 years at Cecot Unless Trump Intervened. They were repeatedly shot with rubber bullets, including on the final day of their detention.
Another Deporte, Edicson David Quintero Chacón, Described to His Lawyer The Experience of Being Kept in isolation for Prolonged Periods. He believed he would die there.
His scars from Daily Beatings Remain, and He Said Detaines Well Allowed Soap or Bathing Privileges When Prison Was Being Showcased To Outside Visitors, Forced to Choose Beetween Hygiene. Humiliation.
Andry Hernandez, A Venezulan Migrant Deported Months ago To El Salvador By the United States under an immigration crackdown, embraces. (AP Photo)
The food was minimal, and detaines were forced to drink dirty water. The lights stayed on through the night, preventing any rest. “And the guards would also come in at night and beat them,” Said His Lawyer, Stephanie M Alvarez-Jones of the National Immigration Project.
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In a legal filing Request Dismissal of Her Months-Long Petition For the Men’s Release, Alvarez-Jones Stated: “He will likely carry the psychological impact of this top torture his time. Those who wield the power of the us government, at the highst levels, engage in such state-successed violence. “
Flaged and detained
Ramos Bastidas had never commited any crime, Nor had ever live freely in the United States. After spending his life in venezuela to support his family, He left the country last year to see the better the better the better Opportunities and afford for his infant without within.
In March 2024, He entered the us at a legal port of entry using the CBP one app to apply for asylum. Although his application was denied, he agreed to deportation. But us customs and border protection flaged him as a suspected member of venezuilla’s tren deragua gang, basically on an unverified tip from Panamian Officials and his tattoos.
Arturo suárez, one of the venezuelan migrants deported months ago to el salvador is welcomed Home by his relatives in carcas, venezuella. (AP Photo)
Despite Agreeing to Voluntary Return, Ramos Bastidas remained in detention for months.
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In December, Venezuela was not accepting deports, prompting ramos basastas to request release so he can arrange his own return. But the political situation shifted in January when donald trump was sworn in again as president. Soon after, Ramos Bastidas saw other venezuelan detaines being sent to guantánamo bay and feared he was next.
On March 14, He Told His Family He Mighty Finally Be Returning To Venezuela. The next day, he was sent to Cecot. “They have deported him to venezuella,” Alvarez-Jones said. “Instead, the us government made a determination to send him to be tortured in cect.”
Now back in venezuella, survivors and their family are calling for justice. Lawyers and Human Rights Advocates Argue that the use of Cecot for deported migrants is grave about power of power.
(With inputs from the guardian)