Bukele denies plan to release half of El Salvador's prisoners, cites misrepresentation

President Nayib Bukele clarified he will not release 50% of the 93,000 detainees held under El Salvador's exceptional regime, calling such reports a misrepresentation. He indicated only around 10,000 individuals considered occasional gang collaborators might be considered for release. This clarification follows domestic and international scrutiny of the mass detention policy, but the exact criteria and timeline for any release remain unclear.