SAN SALVADOR: The US government used an 18th-century wartime law to deport more than 200 Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador, where they were immediately transferred to the country’s maximum-security gang prison.
And while a federal judge in Washington tries to determine whether the US government defied his order to return the migrants while they were in the air and insists that they must get an opportunity to challenge their designations as alleged members of a notorious gang, there has been no word from El Salvador’s president or judiciary about what the prisoners’ legal status is in that country.
That may change soon. On Monday, lawyers hired by the Venezuelan government took legal action on behalf of the Venezuelan prisoners seeking their release from the prison, which US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is scheduled to visit Wednesday.
The US says the Venezuelans were members of the Tren de Aragua gang, a criminal organization that US President Donald Trump declared an invading force, but has provided no evidence of their alleged membership. The Alien Enemies Act allows noncitizens to be deported without the opportunity to go before an immigration or federal court judge.
El Salvador hasn’t had diplomatic relations with Venezuela since 2019, so the Venezuelans imprisoned there do not have any consular support from their government either.
Even Salvadoran citizens have been living under a state of emergency that has suspended fundamental rights since 2022 and the country’s judiciary is not considered independent. All of which raises questions about the prisoners’ legal future in El Salvador.
What has El Salvador’s government said about the prisoners’ status in the country?
Nothing.
President Nayib Bukele announced Sunday that the United States had sent what he called “238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua” to El Salvador and they were immediately sent to its maximum security gang prison. The US government would pay an annual fee for their incarceration, Bukele wrote in a post on X.
El Salvador’s Attorney General’s Office and Presidential Commissioner for Human Rights and Freedom of Expression did not respond to requests for comment about the status of the Venezuelan prisoners.
What do El Salvador’s laws say about the status of these prisoners?
Lawyer David Morales, legal director for the nongovernmental organization Cristosal, said there was no legal basis for the Venezuelans’ imprisonment in El Salvador. He said he knew of no Salvadoran law or international treaty that would support their imprisonment.
“They are illegal detentions because they haven’t been submitted to the jurisdiction of a Salvadoran judge, nor have they been prosecuted or convicted in El Salvador,” he said. As such, their imprisonment here is “arbitrary.”
He said El Salvador’s prosecutor’s office for human rights would have the authority to intervene, because it has a broad mandate when it comes to prisoners, “but we already know that it’s not playing its role because it is dominated, subjected to political power.”
What are lawyers doing?
Lawyers hired by the Venezuelan government filed a legal action Monday in El Salvador aimed at freeing 238 Venezuelans deported by the United States who are being held in a Salvadoran maximum-security prison.
Jaime Ortega, who says he represents 30 of the imprisoned Venezuelans, said his firm filed the habeas corpus petition with the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Chamber. He said that by extension they requested that it be applied to all Venezuelans detained in El Salvador.
Before it was filed, constitutional lawyer Enrique Anaya had suggested human rights organizations and the prisoners’ families should file habeas corpus petitions, essentially compelling the government to prove someone’s detention was justified “as a mechanism to denounce (the situation) as well as to pressure” the government.
Still, Anaya said the lack of judicial independence in El Salvador made success unlikely. Bukele’s party removed the justices of the Supreme Court’s Constitutional chamber in 2021 and replaced them with judges seen as more amenable to the administration.
“Who is going to decide these people’s freedom, US judges, Salvadoran judges?” Anaya asked. The habeas corpus petitions could at least “show the illegitimacy of this vacuum.”
How hard is it for Salvadorans to get out of prisons there?
El Salvador has lived under a state of emergency since March 2022, when Congress granted Bukele extraordinary powers to fight the country’s powerful street gangs.
Since then, some 84,000 people have been arrested, accused of gang ties. The state of emergency has allowed authorities to act without basic protections like access to a lawyer or even being told why they’re being arrested. They can be held for 15 days without seeing a judge.
Homicides have plummeted in El Salvador and the improved security has fueled Bukele’s popularity.
But while Bukele has said some 8,000 of those arrested have been freed for lack of evidence, many more have found no way out.
Last year, the Due Process Foundation published a report showing that the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court had “systematically” rejected more than 6,000 habeas corpus petitions made by families of people arrested under the state of emergency.
Venezuelan migrants deported by the US ended up in a Salvadoran prison. This is their legal status
https://arab.news/4jgdd
Venezuelan migrants deported by the US ended up in a Salvadoran prison. This is their legal status
- El Salvador hasn’t had diplomatic relations with Venezuela since 2019
- So the Venezuelans imprisoned there do not have any consular support from their government either
South Korea, China, Japan to strengthen regional trade as Trump tariffs loom
- South Korean, Japanese economies rely on auto exports to the US
- East Asian neighbors to speed up negotiations for a trilateral free trade pact
SEOUL: South Korea, China and Japan agreed to expand trade cooperation on Sunday, ahead of US President Donald Trump’s plans to impose reciprocal tariffs.
South Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun met with Japanese Trade Minister Yoji Muto and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Seoul for the first trilateral meeting among the three countries since 2019.
They agreed to speed up negotiations toward a trilateral free trade agreement, which have not progressed since talks first began in 2012.
“We will continue discussions to accelerate trilateral FTA negotiations with the goal of realizing a fair, comprehensive and high-quality FTA that is mutually beneficial,” the ministers said in a joint statement issued after the meeting.
Ahn said cooperation among the three countries was necessary amid “the rapidly changing global economic and trade” environment.
“There is a need for the three countries to cooperate on the basis of mutual respect and trust, in order to create a more stable environment for global trade and investment,” Ahn said during his opening remarks at the meeting.
Ahn and his counterparts also agreed to strengthen the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a trade framework among 15 Asia-Pacific countries aimed at lowering trade barriers, and to expand collaboration in rising industries, including renewable energy and digital transformation.
Sunday’s trilateral meet comes ahead of Trump’s expected announcement of “reciprocal tariffs” on April 2. US officials have previously cited China and South Korea as countries with whom Washington has had “persistent trade deficits.”
On Wednesday, Trump unveiled a 25 percent tariff on all cars and auto parts shipped to the US that is set to take effect on April 3. The move could deal a heavy blow to South Korea and Japan’s economies, which rely on auto exports to the North American country.
After Mexico, South Korea is the world’s largest exporter of vehicles to the US, followed by Japan, according to data from S&P.
“South Korea and Japan in particular are trying to decrease pressures from the US by increasing trade volume with China and Japan,” Park Duck-bae, an economics adjunct professor at Sungkyunkwan University, told Arab News.
“Since they are all facing similar threats from the US, they are getting together to pool their response to the US tariff policies.”
By increasing cooperation with South Korea and Japan, Beijing will be able to strengthen its position in the region, said Moon Heung-ho, an expert on China and honorary professor at the Graduate School of International Studies in Hanyang University.
“China is trying to exert its influence in the Middle East and Central Asia, but it is difficult due to the presence of the US and Russia. They are trying to cozy up with their neighbors first … The fact that the statement stresses norms like multilateralism and free trade is part of China’s strategy to claim the upper hand in its power struggle with the US,” Moon told Arab News.
“Increasing cooperation and driving a wedge between the US and its traditional allies, like South Korea and Japan, is an important win for China.”
China, Japan and South Korea are among Asia’s five largest economies, with the first two holding the top positions, as per gross domestic product. The three countries make up about 20 percent of the world’s population.
Thailand, Myanmar race to find earthquake survivors as death toll tops 1,700
- China, Malaysia among countries dispatching rescue teams to Myanmar
- Bangkok authorities are still trying to rescue survivors from a collapsed building
BANGKOK: Thai and Burmese rescue teams were racing against time on Sunday in a desperate search for survivors, two days after a massive earthquake struck Myanmar and killed more than 1,700 people.
The 7.7-magnitude quake hit midday Friday with an epicenter near Myanmar’s second-largest city, Mandalay, destroying scores of buildings and cultural sites and damaging other vital infrastructure, including the local airport.
The extensive damage in a country ravaged by civil war was hampering relief efforts, as the death toll in Myanmar rose to around 1,700 people on Sunday, according to a statement issued by the ruling junta, with about 3,400 others injured and 300 more missing.
“What we’re seeing right now is unexpected, and I cannot imagine what that means for people who are living in those areas,” Marie Manrique, acting head of delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross in Myanmar, said in a video statement.
Mandalay, Sagaing, Naypyidaw and Bago are the hardest-hit areas, she said, but impacts of the earthquakes were also felt in Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon.
“Many people in the city of Yangon … have not had electricity or running water since the day of the earthquake. So that just gives us a good impression on what the situation is on ground zero in Mandalay and Sagaing,” she said.
Local news outlet Myanmar Now said that crematoriums in Mandalay were “struggling to cope” due to a surge in fatalities.
“Major cemeteries … are overwhelmed, with bodies piling up as families seek to cremate their deceased,” a report from the publication reads.
Foreign aid and international rescue teams have started arriving in Myanmar after the military issued a rare plea for help as the nation grappled with the deadliest natural disaster to hit the country in years.
In neighboring Thailand, authorities said the tremors had killed at least 18 people, with videos posted on social media showing water surging from pools atop high-rise hotels and apartments, while one clip showed a dramatic collapse of a 30-story structure that was under construction.
At least 10 people died on that site alone, which is near the city’s Chatuchak Park.
Bangkok authorities were concentrating their rescue operation on that location, as 78 people remain unaccounted for.
“I would like to confirm that we are doing our best because I believe that there is still a chance to find survivors inside,” Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt said at a press conference.
There is a critical 72-hour window to reach those trapped, with some thought to be meters underground.
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said in a statement that the operation is being expedited “by utilizing international tools and experts to scan for vital signs.”
The statement read: “The height of the debris is approximately 20 meters, and the tools are capable of accurately scanning positions and relaying information to experts stationed on a crane basket … The search and rescue operation is now focused on the top, with officers racing against time.”
Friday’s earthquake was a shock for Bangkok residents like Paiboon Auengkongkatong, 34, who had never experienced such tremors.
“I never experienced this before … I’ve always stayed in Bangkok my whole life. This is the first time,” he told Arab News.
Auengkongkatong was at a restaurant on the seventh floor of the Central Rama 9 mall when the quake hit. With a group of friends, he then began running toward the fire escape.
“When we were going down, the building was shaking and the walls were cracking,” he said. “Some stones were falling down; that was really, really scary because I didn’t know if it was going to collapse.”
Taliban leader says there is no need for Western laws in Afghanistan
- The Taliban leader says there is no need for Western laws in Afghanistan and that democracy was dead as long as sharia laws are in effect
- Hibatullah Akhundzada made the remarks Sunday in a sermon marking the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Fitr in the southern city of Kandahar
The Taliban leader said Sunday there was no need for Western laws in Afghanistan and that democracy was dead as long as sharia laws are in effect.
Hibatullah Akhundzada made the comments in a sermon marking the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Fitr, in the southern city of Kandahar’s Eidgah Mosque. The 50-minute audio of his message was published on X by the Taliban government’s chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
“There is no need for laws that originate from the West. We will create our own laws,” Akhundzada said, speaking in Pashto, while emphasizing the importance of Islamic laws.
The Taliban’s interpretation of sharia has led to bans on Afghan women and girls, who have been excluded them from education, many jobs and most public spaces. Such measures have isolated the Taliban on the world stage, although they have established diplomatic ties with countries including China and the United Arab Emirates.
Akhundzada has taken a stronger hand in directing policy since the Taliban seized control of the country in 2021, despite some officials initially promising a more moderate rule.
Akhundzada on Sunday criticized the West, saying non-believers had united against Muslims and that the US and others were united in their hostility toward Islam, citing the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Democracy had come to an end in Afghanistan and sharia was in effect, he said, adding that supporters of democracy were trying to separate the people from the Taliban government.
The Taliban have no credible opposition inside or outside the country, but some senior figures within the administration have criticized the leadership’s decision-making process and concentration of power in Akhundzada’s circle.
Some Taliban want greater engagement with the international community and scrapping harsher policies to attract more outside support. In recent months, however, there has been increased engagement between the Taliban and the US under President Donald Trump, mostly because of prisoner exchanges and releases.
Israel’s Netanyahu says to visit Hungary April 2 despite war crimes warrant
- Orban extended an invitation to Netanyahu despite the ICC’s arrest warrant issued last year
Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Hungary on April 2, his office said on Sunday, defying an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
During his visit, Netanyahu is set to hold talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and other senior Hungarian officials before returning to Israel on April 6.
Orban extended an invitation to Netanyahu despite the ICC’s arrest warrant issued last year.
One day after the ICC decision in November, Netanyahu thanked Orban for his show of “moral clarity” in extending the invitation.
Netanyahu’s office at the time published what it said was a letter from Orban in which the Hungarian premier denounced the ICC decision as a “shameful” move.
The ICC issued warrants for Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant over allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes — including starvation as a method of warfare — in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
The war was sparked by the militant Palestinian groups attack against Israel on October 7, 2023.
Hungary signed the Rome Statute, the international treaty that created the ICC, in 1999 and ratified it two years later during Orban’s first term in office.
However, Budapest has not promulgated the associated convention for reasons of constitutionality and therefore asserts it is not obliged to comply with ICC decisions.
2 killed and dozens wounded in Russian attack on Kharkiv
- Ukrainian officials say two people were killed when Russian drones struck a military hospital, shopping center and apartment buildings in Kharkiv late Saturday
- The Ukrainian Air Force reported intercepting 65 of 111 Russian drones
KYIV: Russian drones hit a military hospital, shopping center, apartment blocks and other buildings in Kharkiv late Saturday, killing two people and wounding 30 others, Ukrainian officials said.
Regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said that a 67-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman were killed in the attack on Ukraine’s second-largest city.
Ukraine’s General Staff denounced the “deliberate, targeted shelling” of the military hospital. Among the casualties were “servicemen who were undergoing treatment,” it said.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia fired 111 exploding drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Sunday. It said 65 of them were intercepted and another 35 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense, meanwhile, said its air defense systems shot down six Ukrainian drones.
According to Ukrainian government and military analysts, Russian forces are preparing to launch a fresh military offensive in the coming weeks to maximize pressure on Ukraine and strengthen the Kremlin’s negotiating position in ceasefire talks.
