International

Bukele offers his mega-prison in El Salvador for US prisoners, both migrants and Americans

The Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, and the Salvadoran President, Nayib Bukele, closed an agreement on Monday to deport to El Salvador undocumented migrants of any nationality who have committed crimes in US territory.

According to the head of US diplomacy, at the meeting they agreed that El Salvador accepts “the deportation of illegal foreigners in the United States who are criminals of any nationality, whether from the M-13 or the Aragua Train, and house them in their prisons.”

But Rubio also surprised by explaining that Bukele even offered to “host in his prisons dangerous American criminals” who are imprisoned in the North American country, both those who have citizenship and those who have legal residence in the United States.

“No country has ever made an offer of friendship like this,” Rubio told the press at the hotel in the Salvadoran capital where he is staying.

Rubio explained that this same Monday he spoke about this matter with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and said that Bukele’s offer is “just a sign of the incredible friend” that he is for the United States.

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Bukele is one of Trump’s closest allies in Latin America and the first president of the region whom the Republican called after his return to the White House.

The Salvadoran president declared to the press that the United States is the “most important partner” of El Salvador and claimed that “being in the box of allies of the United States is better” for the country.

Bukele also highlighted his close harmony with the US president: “We do not hide our sympathy (with Trump),” he said.

The Salvadoran president made these statements with Rubio in a brief greeting to the press from a balcony of his residence overlooking Lake Coatepeque, in the Salvadoran town of El Congo (west).

Then, Bukele and Rubio continued with a private meeting that in a first part accompanied the Salvadoran foreign minister, Alexandra Hill Tinoco.

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The head of US diplomacy, who is on an international tour of Central America, did not make statements.

The Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, arrived in El Salvador on Monday to meet with the country’s president, Nayib Bukele, one of the main allies in Latin America of the new Administration of Donald Trump.

The head of US diplomacy landed aboard an Air Force plane at 10:18 local time (16:18 GMT) at El Salvador International Airport, coming from Panama.

El Salvador is the second stop of Rubio’s tour of Central America, focused mainly on containing migration to the United States and counteracting China’s influence in the region.

At the reception to Rubio was his Salvadoran counterpart, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexandra Hill Tinojo, with whom he melted into a hug and chatted briefly in a relaxed way, and then got into a vehicle to leave the airport.

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The Secretary of State will start his agenda with a visit to the Aeroman aircraft maintenance company, then go to the US Embassy in San Salvador and finally meet with President Bukele.

The Salvadoran president was, in fact, the first in Latin America and the second in the world with whom Trump spoke by phone after being invested as president of the United States.

The Trump Administration sees as an example the security strategy of the Bukele government, which has drastically reduced insecurity in the country with a police hard-handed policy criticized by human rights organizations.

After his stay in Panama and El Salvador, Rubio will visit Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.

Marco Rubio, son of Cuban immigrants, is the first Hispanic Secretary of State in the history of the United States and speaks fluent Spanish.

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International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

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International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

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International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

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Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.