The New York Times reported that one of Bukele’s aides planted the tropical-looking drinks on the table to make it look like Abrego Garcia was living large. Van Hollen confirmed this on Friday. “This is a lesson into the lengths that President Bukele will go to deceive people about what’s going on,” he said, “and it also shows the lengths that the Trump administration and the president will go to, because when he was asked … about this, he just went along for the ride.”

Van Hollen added that Bukele’s government wanted the meeting to take place by a pool: “They actually wanted to have the meeting [take place] by the side of the pool in the hotel,” he said. “This is a guy who’s been in CECOT. This is a guy who has been detained. They want to create this appearance that life was just lovely for Kilmar, which, of course, is a big fat lie.”

  • Hikuro93@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    When Mr. Garcia gets back to the US take his family and put them in safety in another country - Canada, Europe, so long as they’re far from El Salvador or Trump. Political asylum anywhere safe, since he can be considered now a person of interest to those wanting to upkeep democracy, and a danger to those undermining it.

    I’m sure there’s plenty of people sympathetic to this cause and wanting Mr. Garcia to be able to freely speak without fear about what he’s endured.

    As soon as he’s back in the US he’ll have a big red bullseye on his back, guaranteed.

    • boughtmysoul@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      He is never going to be allowed back in the US. He is never going to leave CECOT unless he’s in a coffin. That is literally the Warden’s mandate.

      • Liberteez@lemm.ee
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        2 days ago

        He did leave CECOT. He had been out of CECOT for one week before he met the senator.

        And he can leave his current facility, too. He did for this photo shoot at a hotel.

        All it takes is for Bukele to change his tune. Which he has, already once.

        The pressure campaigns are working. Do not give up on this man.

        • boughtmysoul@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          Oh sorry, you are correct.

          He was moved from CECOT to a different El Salvadoran hellhole, then paraded to a photo op at a hotel which Bukale later made a joke about on social media.

          • Liberteez@lemm.ee
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            2 days ago

            Exactly. Both things that a day before we were told could never happen.

            The game is not over