“For us, the United States is not only a partner and an ally, but also a friend. And we're going to show that friendship. That's one of the reasons we signed the agreement - because we want to show the friendship to our most important ally, which is the United States.” (source: NPR).

“El Salvador with its new leadership has made a clear choice to fight corruption, promote justice and partner with the United States, and together both of our peoples will reap those benefits.”

Pompeo also praised Bukele for recognizing Juan Guido, the self-appointed and US-funded “interim president” of Venezuela and for rejecting Venezuela's elected government which Pompeo described as, “the corrupt Maduro regime… We applaud the government of Nayib Bukele for ensuring that El Salvador is on the right side of history by recognising Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela.”

Then Ronald Johnson, the US ambassador to El Salvador, quickly chimed in with more praise, eager to partner with the new president and to run the country alongside him as US ambassadors are wont to do in Washington's client states.

“Hundreds of Salvadorans are killed every month. In July, the country went a day without a murder, and it was headline news, Murders, disappearances and tortures almost always go unsolved in El Salvador. Criminals, especially those with access to power, are rarely punished for their wrongdoing. But Gellman adds this, “Since Bukele took office in June 2019, murders in El Salvador are down. The president credits his tough-on-gangs policing with improving security in the country.

“But some crime analysts say the apparent drop in homicides change is actually a manipulation of crime data. The government recently changed how it counts murders, eliminating deaths that result from confrontation with security forces – police killings – from the homicide category.”

“In any case, levels of violence in El Salvador are still among the world’s highest.

“Police regularly turn a blind eye to violence by gang members, including both MS-13 and Barrio 18 gangs, either due to corruption or concern for their own safety. As a result, Salvadoran police frequently fail to meaningfully protect people from gang violence.

“Often, officers themselves victimize Salvadorans, roughing up suspected gang members who may just be teenage boys hanging out on the street…

“In these circumstances, sending migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to El Salvador may violate an international law called “non-refoulement… According to the 1954 United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees, which both the U.S. and El Salvador signed, states cannot expel refugees to a territory 'where his life or freedom would be threatened.’ Migrants know El Salvador can’t protect them from the dangers they flee. Only about 50 people have applied for asylum there in recent years. El Salvador has just one asylum officer on staff, according to the Salvadoran investigative news site El Faro…The future of the U.S.-El Salvador migration agreement is not assured, as the Salvadoran Congress has not yet approved the measure. But if it goes into effect, migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. may soon become collateral damage from this political deal.”

“Since taking office, President Trump has ended crucial protections for immigrants from six countries. Over 300,000 people are at risk of losing legal Temporary Protected Status… TPS is a provision under which the government grants protection from deportation to people from certain countries afflicted by natural disasters, war, or other dangerous conditions.

“These moves continue a series of cruel attacks on immigrants in the U.S. that rip apart families and hurt our communities. The administration must extend TPS. And Congress should enact a permanent solution that creates a roadmap to citizenship for recipients and the millions of other immigrants in the U.S.”