El Salvador President Threatens Gangsters Shipments to France Over Prison Criticism

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele sharply criticized a Paris Fashion Week show by Mexican-American designer Willy Chavarria that highlighted the plight of inmates at the country's mega-prison, the Terrorism Confinement Centre (CECOT). The show featured models dressed in prison uniforms and included symbolic gestures referencing the harsh conditions faced by prisoners, many of whom are suspected gang members. Bukele responded on social media, threatening to send the inmates to France if given permission by the French government, accusing the show of glorifying criminals and linking this to social problems in Paris. His comments received support from X founder Elon Musk, and Bukele's press team emphasized his firm stance against glorifying criminality. CECOT, built under Bukele's administration as part of a crackdown on organized crime, has faced international criticism for inhumane conditions and overcrowding. The dispute underscores ongoing tensions between Bukele's hardline security policies and international human rights concerns.