Israel pounds Gaza City suburbs, Netanyahu to convene security cabinet
Israeli forces struck Gaza City’s outskirts overnight with air and ground fire, destroying homes and prompting further civilian displacement. Prime ...
In an unprecedented twist to U.S. immigration enforcement, hundreds of migrants, mostly Venezuelans, are being held in one of the world’s most notorious mega-prisons. It’s not in Texas or Arizona, but 70 kilometres east of San Salvador, under the iron grip of Nayib Bukele’s security state.
The United States has transferred more than 260 migrants to El Salvador, where many are now being held at CECOT, a high-security prison infamous for its overcrowded conditions and near-total isolation. Most of the deportees are Venezuelans, accused of gang ties under the centuries-old Alien Enemies Act, despite having no convictions in the U.S.
The move follows a February agreement between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. As part of the deal, the U.S. paid approximately $6 million to El Salvador to house the deportees. Salvadoran authorities say 137 of the migrants had suspected links to the Tren de Aragua gang, while another 101 Venezuelans were transferred without clear criminal charges. A smaller group of 23 were Salvadoran gang members.
CECOT, short for Terrorism Confinement Center in Spanish, is El Salvador’s flagship prison built in 2023 as part of Bukele’s sweeping anti-gang crackdown. Touted as Latin America’s largest prison, it spans 57 acres and is designed to hold up to 40,000 inmates. It has no outdoor recreation, no family visits, and inmates are often photographed packed shoulder to shoulder, barefoot, heads shaved.
The prison lies at the centre of Bukele’s emergency regime, launched in 2022, which has led to more than 84,000 arrests and made him one of the hemisphere’s most controversial leaders. Official figures claim 14,500 inmates were housed there as of August 2024, but recent updates have been withheld for “security reasons.”
CECOT has been both praised and condemned globally. While some security hardliners — including U.S. Republicans and Argentina’s security minister — praise its deterrent effect, human rights organisations report thousands of abuses, including torture and over 360 deaths in custody.
A 2024 report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights noted that prisoners were given just 0.6 square metres of space — far below international standards.
The U.S. move to deport migrants directly into this system has sparked outrage from rights advocates who warn it bypasses due process and offloads legal responsibility onto a country still under emergency rule.
Still, Bukele remains defiant. His justice minister once vowed that no inmate would ever “leave CECOT on foot.” For those now imprisoned there, including deportees without convictions, the door may have indeed slammed shut indefinitely.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Norway will purchase a fleet of British-built frigates to reinforce its naval strength, the government confirmed on Sunday. The move marks a decisive step in what is expected to be the country’s largest-ever military procurement and a significant boost to NATO’s northern maritime defences.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Saturday cancelled a planned visit to China as nationwide protests spread beyond Jakarta, with several regional parliament buildings set on fire.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 31th of August, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin on Sunday for a regional security summit, Chinese and Russian state media reported.
China’s largest city and global financial hub, Shanghai, has set a new heat record, state media reported on Saturday. Temperatures in the city exceeded 35°C (95°F) for 25 consecutive days, breaking the previous record set in 1926.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment