30.06.2025 15:00
El Salvador's leader Nayib Bukele reacted strongly to a protest held during Paris Fashion Week that criticized the country's mega prisons. Bukele condemned the show, in which models wore outfits resembling prison uniforms, for glorifying criminals, and stated that they are ready to send the most dangerous criminals to France.
El Salvador reacted to a protest criticizing the country's mega prisons at Paris Fashion Week. The country's leader, Nayib Bukele, strongly condemned the models wearing outfits resembling prison uniforms at the famous fashion event and criticized the designer for glorifying criminals.
Bukele stated that they are ready to send the most dangerous criminals to France if they receive permission from the French government. This reaction resonated widely on social media; even Elon Musk shared Bukele's message.
At the fashion show, 36 male models walked the runway wearing clothes prepared in collaboration with the American Civil Liberties Union. These models knelt and bowed their heads, referencing El Salvador's harsh measures against criminals. Some t-shirts had the word "America" printed upside down; this was used to emphasize that the country is on the wrong path.
El Salvador has been fighting gangs for a long time. The violence caused by gangs, especially Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and 18th Street, has made the country one of the most dangerous places in the world. Bukele has taken strict measures against organized crime and gangs since coming to power in 2019.
In this context, the mega prison named CECOT houses the country's most dangerous criminals. However, human rights advocates say that the conditions in the prison are inhumane. In the prison, inmates sleep on metal bunks without beds and sheets in overcrowded cells, sharing only two toilets and sinks. There are cameras and artificial light 24/7, while solitary cells are dark and almost completely isolated.
Most of the inmates in the prison have received sentences of 100-200 years, and most will remain inside for life. The ban on visitors and the lack of educational opportunities in the prison have been subjects of criticism.
U.S. President Trump also suggested this year that American citizens be held in the CECOT prison. Bukele, on the other hand, does not hesitate to share the prison conditions openly.
While these events create controversy at Paris Fashion Week, Bukele continues to respond with his firm stance.