Greenery in the background. Drinks, something resembling margaritas garnished with cherries, on the table. And an American senator and a deported prisoner, deep in conversation. This is evident from images published by El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele on X.
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen is now accusing El Salvador's government of trying to create an image of Kilmar Ábrego García, who was deported to the country on false grounds, having a vacation-like life.
On social media, the whole thing has been dubbed "margarita-gate".
No one drank margaritas or sugar water or whatever it was, says Van Hollen at a press conference after returning home.
"A lesson"
According to him, the whole situation is a lesson in "how far President Bukele will go to deceive people about what is happening".
Kilmar Ábrego García's case has received significant attention in the USA. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration should "facilitate" García's return to the USA – after he was wrongly deported following allegations of belonging to a criminal gang, which he denies.
Despite the court ruling, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele and US President Trump have rejected the return of Ábrego García to the USA. On Thursday evening, Bukele posted an image on X showing the meeting between Van Hollen and Ábrego García, and wrote, among other things, that they were "sipping margaritas in the tropical paradise of El Salvador".
Has been moved
However, according to Chris Van Hollen, it was government officials who suddenly brought out the drinks during the meeting.
They want to create an image of Kilmar having a wonderful life, he says.
Van Hollen also reports that 29-year-old Ábrego García, who was born in El Salvador but is married to an American and was legally residing in the USA, is no longer being held in the unknown high-security prison where he was initially taken. Instead, he has been moved to a prison with better conditions.
It is still unclear what the future holds for Kilmar Ábrego García.
