Latest news with #CentralAmerica
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New Mexico cattle industry prepares and cattle imports paused as screwworm travels north
Jun. 1—A small, pale maggot about a half-inch long could cost New Mexico cattle ranchers greatly if it gets back into the country. One of the state's senators introduced new legislation to combat the New World screwworm fly, which has recently spread across Central America toward the U.S. At the U.S.-Mexico crossing in Santa Teresa, the pens supporting the nation's largest livestock entry point sat empty and eerily quiet Friday, with workers performing maintenance projects and catching up on paperwork at facilities normally bustling with thousands of cattle passing through daily. The U.S. Department of Agriculture closed the border to livestock imports after the screwworm was detected in the southern Mexico state of Chiapas in November. Imports resumed in February once the two countries established protocols for inspection and treatment. However, when screwworm was detected in Oaxaca and Veracruz, just 700 miles from the U.S., the USDA closed the border to imports once again on May 11. Unlike typical maggots, which feed on the dead, screwworm larvae feast on the living, meaning the fly larvae can do significant damage to cattle, even causing death. While New World screwworms overwhelmingly affect cattle, any warm-blooded animal can be susceptible to infestation, including livestock, pets, wild animals and people. The U.S. eradicated the parasites in 1966 and has worked with the Panama government to keep screwworms there in check, maintaining a buffer zone of several countries between U.S. ranches and the insects. But the New World screwworm population in Panama exploded in 2023, and last year's infestation in Chiapas prompted the U.S. to release $165 million in emergency funding to protect livestock, pets and wildlife. Some experts see a new U.S. infestation as inevitable. "It's not an 'if we're going to see it;' it's a 'when we're going to see it,'" said Bronson Corn, president of the New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association. "And unfortunately, I think we're going to see it sooner, much rather than later. Probably within the next three months, I would say, we're probably going to have it here in the United States." New Mexico has more than 10,000 cattle farms and ranches. The U.S. livestock industry benefits by more than $900 million a year because there aren't screwworms in the country, USDA estimates. Dr. Samantha Holeck, state veterinarian with the New Mexico Livestock Board, is preparing for the worst and hoping for the best by working to educate livestock producers on the New World screwworm and developing protocols for sample collection to make sure flies can be rapidly identified. "The challenge is, we've got very warm weather. The flies are able to move on their own, as well as with animal movement and things like wildlife that are going to move independently. We don't have control over how wildlife move. There are risk factors that still make it an imminent threat to the United States, even with a lot of good preventive strategies and surveillance in place," Holeck said. In the 1960s, New Mexico's livestock industry was heavily affected by the screwworm, she said. "A lot of our common management practices, even ear tagging potentially, can put an animal at risk, because any sort of fresh wound as small as a tick bite for example, can attract those female flies to lay eggs," Holeck said. "So once they have an opportunity to lay eggs in, those larvae begin to burrow in, because the larvae feed on live, healthy flesh." Left untreated, screwworms can cause traumatic injuries, are able to enlarge a wound and capable of even eating through bone. An untreated screwworm infestation could kill an animal within one to two weeks. Treatment with a dewormer like ivermectin can clear an infestation in a cow within two to three days. Livestock producers can usually identify an infestation by observing a rapidly expanding wound, signs of distress or pain in their animal, or by the foul smell of the wound. If screwworms are identified in New Mexico, the infested livestock will be thoroughly inspected and treated, Holeck said. They also won't be transported until free of screwworm larvae. Fly sterilization Female screwworms only mate once, so the strategy for managing the screwworm population has long been to produce sterile male screwworms and then release them into the wild. But, when the screwworm population was eradicated in the U.S., the country was producing sterile flies to release across a broad area. At present, the only sterilization facility is in Panama and is capable of producing hundreds of millions of sterile flies in a week. "If that facility were to go down, we'd be in a real big wreck," Holeck said. On Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the USDA is investing $21 million to renovate an existing fruit fly production facility in Mexico to produce 60 to 100 million additional sterile New World screwworm flies weekly. Sens. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, introduced a bill to authorize money for a new sterile fly production facility in the U.S. to combat the growing screwworm outbreak. The STOP Screwworms Act is cosponsored by Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss. With bipartisan support, Luján is hopeful the bill will move quickly through Congress because of the urgent situation. "The last time that there was an outbreak, it devastated the cattle industry, beef prices and availability in the United States," Luján said. "This little thing is quite devastating." At the border, empty cattle pens The orange theater-style seating at the Santa Teresa Livestock Auction was empty Friday. Hay and feed were neatly piled and only a few head of cattle were penned together. General Manager Hector Alberto "Teto" Medina estimated that the pause on imports will affect producers in Mexico, who exported over $1 billion in livestock to the U.S. in 2024, but would have ripple effects throughout the U.S. food system and related business sectors — down to what consumers pay for groceries or dining out. "This is the hardest we've ever been hit on the U.S.-Mexico border," he said. "We're talking about employment for farmers that feed these cattle, ranchers, transportation companies, brokerage companies, federal workers, feedlots, processors, for plants that process the cattle into meat — all the way down to restaurants and all the way down to our plates." So far, he said he had no plans to lay off any of his staff, and was upbeat about a solution. "What's being done at the USDA is the correct thing to do," he said. "They are ensuring that our food supply is safe and clean. ... I wish it didn't have to affect us as much, but that's the way life is sometimes."
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
Inside entire private island which could be yours for £350,000
An entire private island has been listed for sale - and it could be yours for just £350,000. With its white sand beaches and clear blue water, Iguana Island is located 12 miles off the coast of Bluefields, Nicaragua. The five-acre volcanic island is lined with palm trees for 'maximum privacy' and listed at £350,000 ($475,000) on the website Private Island Inc. 'A rare chance to own your slice of tropical freedom—whether for private getaways, a boutique retreat, or the ultimate island escape,' the description reads. To get to the idyllic island, visitors must take a 45-minute plane from mainland Nicaragua to Bluefields before hopping on a boat. But its remote location does have some perks as it is located safely below the hurricane belt where temperatures rarely drop below 25 degrees Celsius. The current owner has placed Iguana Island on the market at a reduced rate due to a death in the family. However, it is stated that 'reasonable offers' will also be taken into consideration. For the small price tag, the new owner of Iguana Island will be given the keys to the main house featuring three bedrooms, two bathrooms with pressurised faucets and toilets, a wraparound porch and a 'breezy' living and dining area equipped with a bar. There is also additional accommodation for staff, who are described as 'reliable' and 'longtime' residents of the island. Although Iguana Island is perfect for those looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city; television, internet and cell service are available. 'A back-up generator, septic system and water catchment system add to the island's self-sufficiency,' the description adds. Those who are passionate about angling may well take a second look at this listing as this part of Nicaragua is known for its plentiful fishing spots. Fishermen can cast off the island's dock in the hopes of catching snapper, mackerel and even barracuda. Meanwhile, abundant tropical fish on the nearby coral reefs will appeal to snorkeling and scuba diving enthusiasts. Elsewhere on the island, its lucky new owner will find a 28-foot observation tower offering panoramic views across the Caribbean Sea. Although you have to take a 45-minute flight followed by a boat to reach Iguana Island, it is located safely below the hurricane belt with 'pleasant year-round temperatures' and 'a noticeable lack of biting insects'. Notably, the island has an area suitable for building a helipad, which would further reduce travel time. The listing also makes sure to point out that the Nicaraguan government do not tax foreign-sourced income, granting the new owner of the island a low cost of living. 'With its well-maintained infrastructure and small monthly maintenance fees, Iguana Island easily could be reimagined into a retreat for an organisation or transformed into a source of rental income with more competitive rates than other island areas of Nicaragua,' the description on Private Islands reads.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘We are under a dictatorship.' Six years into his rule, El Salvador's Nayib Bukele tightens his grip
Nayib Bukele, the self-declared 'world's coolest dictator,' will mark six years as El Salvador's president on Sunday, a period defined by contentious reforms, which critics say have brought peace to the streets at an incredibly high price. His iron-fisted crackdown on crime in the country, that was once the most violent nation in the western hemisphere, led to the arrest and detention of around 87,000 people, often with little due process. The government has defended the move, pointing to significant reductions in gang violence nationwide, but opponents say it has come at the cost of mass incarceration and the erosion of civil liberties. The dragnet expanded as time wore on to include civil society groups and journalists investigating official collusion with the country's gangs, critics say. On May 19, Ruth López, an anti-corruption lawyer for the human rights group Cristosal, who is also a prominent critic of Bukele, was detained by Salvadoran authorities for allegedly stealing 'funds from state coffers.' However, López still has not been charged with a crime despite remaining in detention. Soon after Lopez was arrested, Bukele's government passed a law taxing foreign donations to NGOs like Cristosal at 30%, which rights groups have described as an existential threat. 'What we have seen is a massive concentration of power in (Bukele's) hands,' Juan Pappier, deputy director for Latin America at Human Rights Watch, said of Bukele's six years in power. Bukele's rule has been 'based on demolition of the checks and balances of democracy and increasing efforts to silence and intimidate critics.' The reduction of gang-related crime in El Salvador has made Bukele popular in the Central American nation, so much so that he was reelected in a landslide victory last year, even though the country's constitution had barred anyone standing for a second term. (Bukele's allies in Congress eventually replaced the Supreme Court's top justices with judges willing to interpret the constitution in his favor.) Since March 2022, the country has been under a 'state of exception,' allowing the suspension of numerous constitutional rights. In the capital San Salvador, many people say they now feel safe walking through neighborhoods once considered dangerous. Though they acknowledge the country has seen a massive increase in incarcerations and a suspension of rights, Bukele's supporters believe the resulting peace and security has been worth the tradeoff. Not everyone agrees. Samuel Ramírez, founder of the Movement of Victims of the Regime (MOVIR), a human rights group that works with families of people believed to have been detained without due process, says thousands have been arrested over unfounded suspicions of being linked to gangs. Bukele has previously admitted that some innocent people have been detained by mistake but said that several thousand have already been released. Ramírez and other activists believe that many are too afraid to speak publicly. 'Here we see soldiers armed to the teeth in the streets, the police, even armored trucks in the streets — tanks. That's synonymous with a country at war,' he said. 'The gangs, for me, have already been neutralized. And now the war is against the people, so they don't demonstrate, don't speak out.' Though he presents himself as a law-and-order leader, Bukele has long faced allegations that he negotiated the peaceful security situation in El Salvador through back-door dealings with the gangs. In 2021, the Biden administration accused Bukele's regime of bribing MS-13 and Barrio 18, two of the most notorious gangs in El Salvador, to 'ensure that incidents of gang violence and the number of confirmed homicides remained low.' Alleged payoffs included cash, cell phones and prostitutes for imprisoned capos. Bukele promptly denied the allegations, calling them an 'obvious lie.' But four years later, independent newsroom El Faro published an explosive interview with two self-styled gang leaders from Barrio 18 who claimed that, in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, they had intimidated voters into casting their ballots for Bukele during his 2015 bid for mayor of San Salvador. The two men gang leaders also claimed that when he became president in 2019, Bukele had arranged that the most powerful gangs in El Salvador refrain from wanton murder and extortion, lest they make him look bad, El Faro reported. Bukele has not yet responded publicly to their allegations, but obliquely referenced the reporting from El Faro in a post on May 10, sarcastically implying the only 'pact' he made with the gang leaders involved putting them in prison. The journalists from El Faro who broke the story fled the country before it was published, anticipating arrest. 'I think Bukele will try to put us in jail. I have no doubt about that. I have no doubt, after what he did to Ruth López, that Bukele has decided to raise the bar and persecute those he considers the most visible critics in El Salvador,' El Faro Editor-in-Chief Óscar Martínez told CNN. He said seven of the publication's journalists are facing arrest warrants for reporting on the alleged deals. Even so, he said the newspaper would continue its journalistic work. For the past two years, the publication has been running most of its operations in exile from Costa Rica. 'If there was any semblance of democracy left in El Salvador, it was in independent journalism,' said Noah Bullock, executive director of Cristosal. CNN has reached out to the presidency for comments. 'We are under a dictatorship' Last week, Bukele's government passed a law taxing foreign donations to NGOs at 30%. He had proposed a similar law in 2021, but it didn't pass. In any case, Bullock says that it's irrelevant whether any law is proposed, passed or tabled in El Salvador: after six years of virtually unfettered power, Bukele is a law in and of himself. Gracia Grande, the program officer at the Salvadoran branch of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, told CNN that the law is an existential threat to her NGO's work. She said the law will make it impossible for them to continue working. It gives them three months to renew their registration as an NGO, but they don't know how the process will work. Grande's assessment of the situation is unambiguous: 'Right now, we can say very openly that we are under a dictatorship.' Despite the growing outrage from rights groups, Bukele's punishing penal system has won him fans. US President Donald Trump has praised the crackdown and cut a deal with Bukele, who agreed to hold hundreds of Venezuelan deportees in El Salvador's Center for Terrorism Confinement, alongside thousands of detained Salvadorans. Known as Cecot, the mega-prison is considered the largest penitentiary in the Americas and is notorious for the spartan conditions, which rights organizations have denounced as inhumane. 'I think what is happening here is a kind of laboratory for what could happen in other countries,' NGO worker Grande warned. 'Even the United States.' During Trump's April meeting with Bukele at the White House, Bukele suggested the US president follow his lead when it comes to mass detentions. 'Mr. President, you have 350 million people to liberate, you know,' Bukele said of the US population. 'But to liberate 350 million people, you have to imprison some. You know, that's the way it works, right?'
CNN
12 hours ago
- General
- CNN
‘We are under a dictatorship.' Six years into his rule, El Salvador's Nayib Bukele tightens his grip
Nayib Bukele, the self-declared 'world's coolest dictator,' will mark six years as El Salvador's president on Sunday, a period defined by contentious reforms, which critics say have brought peace to the streets at an incredibly high price. His iron-fisted crackdown on crime in the country, that was once the most violent nation in the western hemisphere, led to the arrest and detention of around 87,000 people, often with little due process. The government has defended the move, pointing to significant reductions in gang violence nationwide, but opponents say it has come at the cost of mass incarceration and the erosion of civil liberties. The dragnet expanded as time wore on to include civil society groups and journalists investigating official collusion with the country's gangs, critics say. On May 19, Ruth López, an anti-corruption lawyer for the human rights group Cristosal, who is also a prominent critic of Bukele, was detained by Salvadoran authorities for allegedly stealing 'funds from state coffers.' However, López still has not been charged with a crime despite remaining in detention. Soon after Lopez was arrested, Bukele's government passed a law taxing foreign donations to NGOs like Cristosal at 30%, which rights groups have described as an existential threat. 'What we have seen is a massive concentration of power in (Bukele's) hands,' Juan Pappier, deputy director for Latin America at Human Rights Watch, said of Bukele's six years in power. Bukele's rule has been 'based on demolition of the checks and balances of democracy and increasing efforts to silence and intimidate critics.' The reduction of gang-related crime in El Salvador has made Bukele popular in the Central American nation, so much so that he was reelected in a landslide victory last year, even though the country's constitution had barred anyone standing for a second term. (Bukele's allies in Congress eventually replaced the Supreme Court's top justices with judges willing to interpret the constitution in his favor.) Since March 2022, the country has been under a 'state of exception,' allowing the suspension of numerous constitutional rights. In the capital San Salvador, many people say they now feel safe walking through neighborhoods once considered dangerous. Though they acknowledge the country has seen a massive increase in incarcerations and a suspension of rights, Bukele's supporters believe the resulting peace and security has been worth the tradeoff. Not everyone agrees. Samuel Ramírez, founder of the Movement of Victims of the Regime (MOVIR), a human rights group that works with families of people believed to have been detained without due process, says thousands have been arrested over unfounded suspicions of being linked to gangs. Bukele has previously admitted that some innocent people have been detained by mistake but said that several thousand have already been released. Ramírez and other activists believe that many are too afraid to speak publicly. 'Here we see soldiers armed to the teeth in the streets, the police, even armored trucks in the streets — tanks. That's synonymous with a country at war,' he said. 'The gangs, for me, have already been neutralized. And now the war is against the people, so they don't demonstrate, don't speak out.' Though he presents himself as a law-and-order leader, Bukele has long faced allegations that he negotiated the peaceful security situation in El Salvador through back-door dealings with the gangs. In 2021, the Biden administration accused Bukele's regime of bribing MS-13 and Barrio 18, two of the most notorious gangs in El Salvador, to 'ensure that incidents of gang violence and the number of confirmed homicides remained low.' Alleged payoffs included cash, cell phones and prostitutes for imprisoned capos. Bukele promptly denied the allegations, calling them an 'obvious lie.' But four years later, independent newsroom El Faro published an explosive interview with two self-styled gang leaders from Barrio 18 who claimed that, in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, they had intimidated voters into casting their ballots for Bukele during his 2015 bid for mayor of San Salvador. The two men gang leaders also claimed that when he became president in 2019, Bukele had arranged that the most powerful gangs in El Salvador refrain from wanton murder and extortion, lest they make him look bad, El Faro reported. Bukele has not yet responded publicly to their allegations, but obliquely referenced the reporting from El Faro in a post on May 10, sarcastically implying the only 'pact' he made with the gang leaders involved putting them in prison. The journalists from El Faro who broke the story fled the country before it was published, anticipating arrest. 'I think Bukele will try to put us in jail. I have no doubt about that. I have no doubt, after what he did to Ruth López, that Bukele has decided to raise the bar and persecute those he considers the most visible critics in El Salvador,' El Faro Editor-in-Chief Óscar Martínez told CNN. He said seven of the publication's journalists are facing arrest warrants for reporting on the alleged deals. Even so, he said the newspaper would continue its journalistic work. For the past two years, the publication has been running most of its operations in exile from Costa Rica. 'If there was any semblance of democracy left in El Salvador, it was in independent journalism,' said Noah Bullock, executive director of Cristosal. CNN has reached out to the presidency for comments. 'We are under a dictatorship' Last week, Bukele's government passed a law taxing foreign donations to NGOs at 30%. He had proposed a similar law in 2021, but it didn't pass. In any case, Bullock says that it's irrelevant whether any law is proposed, passed or tabled in El Salvador: after six years of virtually unfettered power, Bukele is a law in and of himself. Gracia Grande, the program officer at the Salvadoran branch of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, told CNN that the law is an existential threat to her NGO's work. She said the law will make it impossible for them to continue working. It gives them three months to renew their registration as an NGO, but they don't know how the process will work. Grande's assessment of the situation is unambiguous: 'Right now, we can say very openly that we are under a dictatorship.' Despite the growing outrage from rights groups, Bukele's punishing penal system has won him fans. US President Donald Trump has praised the crackdown and cut a deal with Bukele, who agreed to hold hundreds of Venezuelan deportees in El Salvador's Center for Terrorism Confinement, alongside thousands of detained Salvadorans. Known as Cecot, the mega-prison is considered the largest penitentiary in the Americas and is notorious for the spartan conditions, which rights organizations have denounced as inhumane. 'I think what is happening here is a kind of laboratory for what could happen in other countries,' NGO worker Grande warned. 'Even the United States.' During Trump's April meeting with Bukele at the White House, Bukele suggested the US president follow his lead when it comes to mass detentions. 'Mr. President, you have 350 million people to liberate, you know,' Bukele said of the US population. 'But to liberate 350 million people, you have to imprison some. You know, that's the way it works, right?'
CNN
13 hours ago
- Business
- CNN
‘We are under a dictatorship.' Six years into his rule, El Salvador's Nayib Bukele tightens his grip
Nayib Bukele, the self-declared 'world's coolest dictator,' will mark six years as El Salvador's president on Sunday, a period defined by contentious reforms, which critics say have brought peace to the streets at an incredibly high price. His iron-fisted crackdown on crime in the country, that was once the most violent nation in the western hemisphere, led to the arrest and detention of around 87,000 people, often with little due process. The government has defended the move, pointing to significant reductions in gang violence nationwide, but opponents say it has come at the cost of mass incarceration and the erosion of civil liberties. The dragnet expanded as time wore on to include civil society groups and journalists investigating official collusion with the country's gangs, critics say. On May 19, Ruth López, an anti-corruption lawyer for the human rights group Cristosal, who is also a prominent critic of Bukele, was detained by Salvadoran authorities for allegedly stealing 'funds from state coffers.' However, López still has not been charged with a crime despite remaining in detention. Soon after Lopez was arrested, Bukele's government passed a law taxing foreign donations to NGOs like Cristosal at 30%, which rights groups have described as an existential threat. 'What we have seen is a massive concentration of power in (Bukele's) hands,' Juan Pappier, deputy director for Latin America at Human Rights Watch, said of Bukele's six years in power. Bukele's rule has been 'based on demolition of the checks and balances of democracy and increasing efforts to silence and intimidate critics.' The reduction of gang-related crime in El Salvador has made Bukele popular in the Central American nation, so much so that he was reelected in a landslide victory last year, even though the country's constitution had barred anyone standing for a second term. (Bukele's allies in Congress eventually replaced the Supreme Court's top justices with judges willing to interpret the constitution in his favor.) Since March 2022, the country has been under a 'state of exception,' allowing the suspension of numerous constitutional rights. In the capital San Salvador, many people say they now feel safe walking through neighborhoods once considered dangerous. Though they acknowledge the country has seen a massive increase in incarcerations and a suspension of rights, Bukele's supporters believe the resulting peace and security has been worth the tradeoff. Not everyone agrees. Samuel Ramírez, founder of the Movement of Victims of the Regime (MOVIR), a human rights group that works with families of people believed to have been detained without due process, says thousands have been arrested over unfounded suspicions of being linked to gangs. Bukele has previously admitted that some innocent people have been detained by mistake but said that several thousand have already been released. Ramírez and other activists believe that many are too afraid to speak publicly. 'Here we see soldiers armed to the teeth in the streets, the police, even armored trucks in the streets — tanks. That's synonymous with a country at war,' he said. 'The gangs, for me, have already been neutralized. And now the war is against the people, so they don't demonstrate, don't speak out.' Though he presents himself as a law-and-order leader, Bukele has long faced allegations that he negotiated the peaceful security situation in El Salvador through back-door dealings with the gangs. In 2021, the Biden administration accused Bukele's regime of bribing MS-13 and Barrio 18, two of the most notorious gangs in El Salvador, to 'ensure that incidents of gang violence and the number of confirmed homicides remained low.' Alleged payoffs included cash, cell phones and prostitutes for imprisoned capos. Bukele promptly denied the allegations, calling them an 'obvious lie.' But four years later, independent newsroom El Faro published an explosive interview with two self-styled gang leaders from Barrio 18 who claimed that, in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, they had intimidated voters into casting their ballots for Bukele during his 2015 bid for mayor of San Salvador. The two men gang leaders also claimed that when he became president in 2019, Bukele had arranged that the most powerful gangs in El Salvador refrain from wanton murder and extortion, lest they make him look bad, El Faro reported. Bukele has not yet responded publicly to their allegations, but obliquely referenced the reporting from El Faro in a post on May 10, sarcastically implying the only 'pact' he made with the gang leaders involved putting them in prison. The journalists from El Faro who broke the story fled the country before it was published, anticipating arrest. 'I think Bukele will try to put us in jail. I have no doubt about that. I have no doubt, after what he did to Ruth López, that Bukele has decided to raise the bar and persecute those he considers the most visible critics in El Salvador,' El Faro Editor-in-Chief Óscar Martínez told CNN. He said seven of the publication's journalists are facing arrest warrants for reporting on the alleged deals. Even so, he said the newspaper would continue its journalistic work. For the past two years, the publication has been running most of its operations in exile from Costa Rica. 'If there was any semblance of democracy left in El Salvador, it was in independent journalism,' said Noah Bullock, executive director of Cristosal. CNN has reached out to the presidency for comments. 'We are under a dictatorship' Last week, Bukele's government passed a law taxing foreign donations to NGOs at 30%. He had proposed a similar law in 2021, but it didn't pass. In any case, Bullock says that it's irrelevant whether any law is proposed, passed or tabled in El Salvador: after six years of virtually unfettered power, Bukele is a law in and of himself. Gracia Grande, the program officer at the Salvadoran branch of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, told CNN that the law is an existential threat to her NGO's work. She said the law will make it impossible for them to continue working. It gives them three months to renew their registration as an NGO, but they don't know how the process will work. Grande's assessment of the situation is unambiguous: 'Right now, we can say very openly that we are under a dictatorship.' Despite the growing outrage from rights groups, Bukele's punishing penal system has won him fans. US President Donald Trump has praised the crackdown and cut a deal with Bukele, who agreed to hold hundreds of Venezuelan deportees in El Salvador's Center for Terrorism Confinement, alongside thousands of detained Salvadorans. Known as Cecot, the mega-prison is considered the largest penitentiary in the Americas and is notorious for the spartan conditions, which rights organizations have denounced as inhumane. 'I think what is happening here is a kind of laboratory for what could happen in other countries,' NGO worker Grande warned. 'Even the United States.' During Trump's April meeting with Bukele at the White House, Bukele suggested the US president follow his lead when it comes to mass detentions. 'Mr. President, you have 350 million people to liberate, you know,' Bukele said of the US population. 'But to liberate 350 million people, you have to imprison some. You know, that's the way it works, right?'
