US Decries 'Hellish' Foreign Prisons, Forgets Its Own History
The Independent's piece on Salvadoran supermax horrors, allegedly inflicted on Venezuelan migrants deported by Trump, paints a vivid picture of brutality. It's a tragedy, to be sure. But what's missing is the inconvenient context: the US has long cultivated and funded the very 'tough on crime' policies and militarized states that produce such facilities across Latin America. From military aid to
anti-gang initiatives, US foreign policy frequently bolsters regimes that then build these 'hellish' prisons and enact draconian measures. The narrative conveniently forgets the US role in shaping the region's carceral systems, preferring to highlight the individual atrocities rather than the systemic rot it helped sow. It appears some humanitarian concerns are only valid when they can be neatly
blamed on foreign actors or past administrations, absolving current policy of any awkward historical legacy.