The maximum-security facility in Tecoluca, designed to hold 40,000 prisoners.
The government of El Salvador has released a series of photographs offering a glimpse into the conditions within the country’s recently built mega-prison. Located in Tecoluca, the Centre for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT) is a maximum-security facility aimed at detaining the top-ranking and most dangerous individuals associated with gangs like MS-13 and Barrio 18. Shockingly, once inmates enter this facility, they are never known to be released.
The images, observed by vigilant masked guards, depict shirtless and heavily tattooed prisoners being led into cramped cells. The cells are lit by harsh artificial lighting, creating an atmosphere of constant fear and potential violence. The sheer size of the facility is staggering, capable of holding approximately 40,000 prisoners-aa number equivalent to two fully packed Madison Square Gardens.
Under President Nayib Bukele’s administration, there has been an aggressive stance against narco gangs, resulting in a significant crackdown that led to the arrest of over 70,000 individuals within just 20 months. This tough approach underscores the government’s determination to eliminate crime from the streets, despite international concerns regarding human rights violations and the conditions within these detention centres.
In one notable photograph, inmates are tightly packed into a transport bus, their heads shaved and hands bound behind their backs. Another poignant image shows rows of prisoners squatting in line, heads bowed forward, under the watchful eyes of armed guards. These visuals vividly portray the dehumanising environment within CECOT, where individuals endure overcrowded conditions, stringent surveillance, and the constant threat of violence.
The release of these images by the Salvadoran government brings attention to the ongoing debate between security measures and humanitarian considerations within the country’s criminal justice system. As discussions continue regarding the effectiveness and ethical implications of such severe penal policies, these photographs serve as a powerful reminder of the human toll within El Salvador’s most formidable prison walls.