Caribbean Movement Condemns “Inhumane Actions” by U.S. and El Salvador Against Venezuelan Migrants

Detained migrants behind bars in El Salvador’s CECOT facility, as Caribbean activists accuse the U.S. and Salvadoran governments of ‘modern-day slavery’ practices. Mar 25, 2025 Photo: EFE

March 24, 2025 Hour: 8:22 pm

Caribbean Movement slams U.S. and El Salvador for ‘modern slavery’ treatment of Venezuelan migrants, demands release of 238 detainees and sanctions relief.

The Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration (Barbados) issued a forceful statement “strongly condemning the inhumane and criminal actions” by the governments of the United States and El Salvador against Venezuelan migrants. The organization denounced these practices as “an unacceptable act of modern-day slavery in the 21st century.”

The text asserts that “war tactics” are being used against “men, women, and children forced to flee Venezuela due to the economic blockade and financial strangulation imposed by Washington.” The Caribbean group emphasized that the “illegal detention of 238 Venezuelans in confinement centers in El Salvador violates international law and attacks human dignity.”

One of the harshest criticisms targets the U.S. use of the “infamous 1798 Alien Enemies Act,” which the movement claims “criminalizes Venezuelan migrants without evidence and condemns them without trial.” This legal framework, originally designed for wartime, is allegedly being applied arbitrarily.

The movement presented four key demands:

“Immediate release” of all detained Venezuelan migrants.
An end to the “persecution and criminalization” of Venezuelan migration.
Lifting of U.S. “economic sanctions” that trigger mass displacement.
“International condemnation” of President Nayib Bukele for actions resembling “modern-day slavery.”

The closing appeal urges Caribbean nations and the world “not to remain silent in the face of this barbarity,” declaring that “defending Venezuelan migrants means defending all nations’ right to sovereignty, justice, and peace.” The statement ends with a powerful slogan: “Migration is not a crime!”

Signed by David Denny, the group’s Secretary General, the communiqué reinforces regional opposition to U.S.-backed migration policies. It comes amid tightening restrictions on Venezuelan migration routes through Central America.