04/11/2026
What once required denial and diplomatic choreography is now openly celebrated and broadcast. Trump, Bukele, and their surrogates revel in public displays of subjection. The arrival of Venezuelan migrants to CECOT in March 2025 was filmed and used as propaganda by the Bukele and Trump governments. Salvadoran authorities routinely allow reporters and social media influencers to tour and film the facility under tightly controlled conditions, while barring access to human rights groups. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem published her own exploitative video of a March 26 visit to the facility.
What imprisoned Salvadoran researchers taught us about documenting torture, and why their work matters in an age of open authoritarianism.