252 Heartbreaking Cases: Venezuela Migrants Held in El Salvador Spark Global Outcry
“Venezuela migrant detention in El Salvador sparks global outcry as protesters gather in Paris.” 12/7/2025
July 12, 2025 Hour: 2:35 pm
Paris protests call for freedom of 252 Venezuelans detained illegally in El Salvador under Trump-era deportation policies. Global voices demand justice for Venezuela migrant detention in El Salvador.
Related: El Salvador’s State of Emergency Targets Bukele’s Critics
On Saturday, July 12, 2025, hundreds gathered in Paris’ Human Rights Square to demand the immediate release of 252 Venezuelan migrants unlawfully detained in El Salvador, a situation denounced by human rights groups and international organizations as a serious violation of fundamental rights. The protest, organized by the International Collective #LibertadParaLos252, highlighted the growing global concern over the criminalization of migration and the outsourcing of U.S. immigration enforcement policies to Central American nations.
The detainees were transferred to El Salvador under a controversial agreement linked to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, which implemented policies that restricted asylum access at the U.S.-Mexico border and outsourced detention responsibilities to third countries. Activists describe this practice as a form of “legal kidnapping”, where individuals are forcibly relocated without due process or consular oversight — effectively cutting them off from their families and legal representation.
Geopolitical Context Behind Venezuela Migrant Detention
This case of Venezuela migrant detention in El Salvador is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a broader pattern of restrictive migration policies that have increasingly targeted Latin American migrants over the past decade. Under the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy and subsequent Third-Country Asylum Agreements, the United States shifted responsibility for processing asylum claims onto countries like Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador — despite many of these nations lacking the infrastructure or legal safeguards to handle such cases.
El Salvador, under President Nayib Bukele, has been criticized for its role in facilitating these transfers without sufficient transparency or accountability. International observers have raised concerns about the country’s capacity to guarantee fair treatment and due process for asylum seekers, especially amid reports of poor detention conditions and limited access to legal counsel. The current status of the 252 Venezuelans has drawn comparisons to previous cases involving Haitian and Central American migrants who were similarly detained abroad under opaque circumstances.
🔗 UN Migration Agency – Third Country Agreements
Legal and Ethical Violations in Migrant Handling
Legal experts and humanitarian agencies argue that the Venezuela migrant detention in El Salvador constitutes a clear breach of international law, including the 1951 Refugee Convention, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and various regional treaties that protect the right to seek asylum and prohibit arbitrary detention.
“These individuals were taken from their original point of entry into the region and moved to a country where they have no ties, no legal representation, and no way to contact their embassy,” said a spokesperson for Amnesty International. “This amounts to unlawful detention and violates basic principles of dignity and justice.”
🔗 Amnesty International – Migrant Rights Reports
The Paris Protest: A Global Cry for Justice
At the heart of the demonstration was a message of global solidarity and resistance against xenophobic policies. Protesters carried signs reading “No Ban, No Wall, No Cage”, while others held portraits of the detained Venezuelans, calling on governments to act with urgency and humanity.
One of the movement’s spokespeople emphasized: “We cannot allow migration to be treated as a crime. These people are not numbers; they are lives at risk due to inhumane policies.”
The protest also served as a reminder that the fight for migrant rights transcends borders. Participants included members of the Latin American diaspora in Europe, French activists, and representatives from international NGOs who condemned the use of detention centers as tools of exclusion and control.
International Condemnation and Calls for Action
Human rights organizations and progressive governments have strongly criticized the Venezuela migrant detention in El Salvador. The United Nations, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) have all called for the immediate release of the detainees and urged both El Salvador and the U.S. to respect international law.
Progressive leaders from Latin America and Europe have joined calls for transparency, demanding that El Salvador guarantee legal protections and consular access for the detained Venezuelans. Some have even suggested that regional courts may need to intervene if diplomatic efforts fail to produce results.
🔗 IACHR – Migration and Human Rights Reports
Conclusion: A Call for Global Solidarity
The demonstration in Paris’ Human Rights Square stands as a powerful symbol of resistance against the unjust treatment of the Venezuela migrant detention in El Salvador. It is also a rallying cry for the international community to act decisively in defense of human rights and to end repressive migration policies that target vulnerable populations.
As the world watches, the fate of these 252 individuals remains uncertain — but the movement fighting for their freedom continues to grow.
Author: JMVR
Source: VTV