this post was submitted on 19 Apr 2025
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The New York Times reported that one of Bukele’s aides planted the tropical-looking drinks on the table to make it look like Abrego Garcia was living large. Van Hollen confirmed this on Friday. “This is a lesson into the lengths that President Bukele will go to deceive people about what’s going on,” he said, “and it also shows the lengths that the Trump administration and the president will go to, because when he was asked … about this, he just went along for the ride.”

Van Hollen added that Bukele’s government wanted the meeting to take place by a pool: “They actually wanted to have the meeting [take place] by the side of the pool in the hotel,” he said. “This is a guy who’s been in CECOT. This is a guy who has been detained. They want to create this appearance that life was just lovely for Kilmar, which, of course, is a big fat lie.”

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[–] peoplebeproblems@midwest.social 70 points 5 days ago (3 children)

Wait hold on, they wanted us to think it wasn't staged?

The dude was sent to a concentration camp and then sitting at a table in a decent looking area? And they had fake hand gestures exactly like North Korean photo ops and they expected us to think it WASN'T STAGED?

If the MAGATs ate it up, then I realize just how hard they reject the reality over their Truth.

[–] Gerudo@lemm.ee 29 points 5 days ago (2 children)

We've all seen the pictures of the concentration camp, everyone in white boxers and shirt with their heads being shoved down while they walk.

It amazes me that they think we would buy this as how they live day to day?

[–] peoplebeproblems@midwest.social 18 points 5 days ago

I wonder if Bukele doesn't understand or comprehend the amount of information we have access to here, and the erosion of that access is something we all abhor.

[–] RedditRefugee69@lemmynsfw.com 14 points 5 days ago

Much like scam emails, it was never meant to fool you.

It's meant to fool the stupid, and stupid people vote.

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 2 points 4 days ago

its for the magats benefit and thier consumption, gives thier right wing news outlets and grifters some sound bites to use.

[–] HipHoboHarold@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

Even the clothes. We have seen pictures of the dudes in the prison. White shorts. Thats it. Everyone wears the same thing. This meeting didnt happen with the dude in a jumpsuit or anything. They didnt just give him a plain shirt. They made him look like he was wearing fairly typical clothes. Not even thaf far off from how I sometimes dress.

[–] foggy@lemmy.world 81 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

He also noted that the margaritas or whatever drinks were placed in front of them were fake. And that you can tell that it was a photo op through a detail they fucked up on.

They tried to make it look like Mr. Garcia's drink had been sipped from (was clearly less full than the senator's glass), But there was salt and sugar around the entire rim indicating it had never been drank from at all.

Edit: clip from press confrence

[–] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 86 points 5 days ago (2 children)

The instant I saw it I figured they transited him to the hotel wherever the senator was staying, and they just spoke in the restaurant.

The fact that Bukele would stage this, and go so far as to place fake drinks on the table, shows how much of a banana republic El Salvador and Trumpistan are.

The worst part is the majority are apparently braindead enough to not instantly see right through this.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 50 points 5 days ago

Some minor pedantry:

In political science, the term banana republic describes a politically and economically unstable country with an economy dependent upon the export of natural resources.

-Wikipedia. El Salvador and America aren't banana republics; they're republics that are bananas.

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 26 points 5 days ago

The instant I saw the picture I noticed the brand new Chiefs hat. I doubt that was his hat from when he was first incarcerated that they returned to him. They probably just gave it to him to make him look more American, or something.

I don't know whether he cares about the NFL at all. Is he a Ravens fan? If I were incarcerated and my family saw me in Chiefs merch they would instantly know I was wearing it under duress. And I wonder if any Eagles fans are relieved that, even though they won the Super Bowl, their team isn't a prop in this disaster.

[–] Sdes01@lemmy.ca 71 points 5 days ago (2 children)

The dictators are making fun of us now.

Openly.

[–] jaggedrobotpubes@lemmy.world 21 points 5 days ago

Breath of fresh air. Hubris is a hell of a weak point.

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 14 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I disagree. He's clearly concerned about the blowback now.

Their messaging and staging is desperately, pathetically screaming "not a gulag! Not a gulag! He's having a nice time here!"

[–] boughtmysoul@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago

He’s literally making jokes about it on Social Media. He’s not “desperate”, he’s having the time of his fucking life.

[–] boughtmysoul@lemmy.world 40 points 5 days ago (1 children)

“Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the ‘death camps’ & ‘torture.’ now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!” Bukele posted on X.

What a remarkable piece of shit.

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 1 points 4 days ago

of course he would only post on X, cant have anyone debunking or criticising him.

[–] Nemean_lion@lemmy.ca 48 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Honestly I was surprised the guy wasn't dead. Yet...

[–] Hikuro93@lemmy.world 25 points 5 days ago (1 children)

When Mr. Garcia gets back to the US take his family and put them in safety in another country - Canada, Europe, so long as they're far from El Salvador or Trump. Political asylum anywhere safe, since he can be considered now a person of interest to those wanting to upkeep democracy, and a danger to those undermining it.

I'm sure there's plenty of people sympathetic to this cause and wanting Mr. Garcia to be able to freely speak without fear about what he's endured.

As soon as he's back in the US he'll have a big red bullseye on his back, guaranteed.

[–] boughtmysoul@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

He is never going to be allowed back in the US. He is never going to leave CECOT unless he’s in a coffin. That is literally the Warden’s mandate.

[–] Liberteez@lemm.ee 15 points 4 days ago (1 children)

He did leave CECOT. He had been out of CECOT for one week before he met the senator.

And he can leave his current facility, too. He did for this photo shoot at a hotel.

All it takes is for Bukele to change his tune. Which he has, already once.

The pressure campaigns are working. Do not give up on this man.

[–] boughtmysoul@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Oh sorry, you are correct.

He was moved from CECOT to a different El Salvadoran hellhole, then paraded to a photo op at a hotel which Bukale later made a joke about on social media.

[–] Liberteez@lemm.ee 16 points 4 days ago

Exactly. Both things that a day before we were told could never happen.

The game is not over

[–] BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 28 points 5 days ago

Who, except Trump supporters, would think they have a restaurant and a bar in CECOT? Were there any other prisoners having a good time in plain clothes? Does anyone think prisoners get weekends off to just chill outside the prison? Of course it was fucking staged!

[–] aesthelete@lemmy.world 23 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

They had to stage it because it's doubtful CECOT even has a visitor area due to being a torture and death camp.

[–] kibiz0r@midwest.social 24 points 5 days ago

Yeah no shit. Dude is not subtle.

[–] MuskyMelon@lemmy.world 18 points 5 days ago (1 children)

What a bunch of amateurs. If they wanted to stage it, there should have been strippers and coke on the table.

[–] baronvonj@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Well it wasn't a funeral.

Edit: oh sorry that's Taiwan

[–] ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one 1 points 4 days ago

Sounds like my kind of funeral.