Ecuadorean ministers tour infamous Salvadoran jail to pick up some ideas

The Cecot is said to house some 15,000 inmates and has also been opened to US deportees

Ecuadorean Ministers John Reimberg (Interior) and Gian Carlo Loffredo (Defense ) toured El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot) to pick up some ideas with which to build similar facilities in their country, known for its prison violence problems.

The visiting officials praised the Cecot’s fortified design, strategic location, and joint control by military, police, and prison staff. President Daniel Noboa, inspired by his Salvadoran colleague Nayib Bukele, promised two similar prisons in Ecuador.

Construction began in June 2024 in Santa Elena for the “Cárcel del Encuentro,” expected to be completed by September 2025, while the second prison’s location was changed to Salinas after protests. Despite earlier claims of following Bukele’s design, Noboa later stated his prisons would not fully adopt this model.

The Cecot is said to house some 15,000 inmates and has also been opened to US deportees.

“The order we have found here is truly impeccable. Without a doubt, it is a model that we should learn from and replicate in our country,” Reimberg said. “I want to first thank President Nayib Bukele for allowing us to come to this visit, so important for our country, where we are seeing everything they have done against mafias and terrorism,” he added.

Loffredo said the Cecot was the “most advanced and secure prison in Latin America.” It is also believed to be the largest. He also explained that he and Reimberg saw “how the physical security works, the means and equipment available to the staff, electronic security, administration,” and other “ideas” they would be taking to Ecuador.

The Cecot was built by Bukele in his “war” against the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18 gangs. With arrests not requiring warrants, the complex has been strongly criticized by human rights organizations.