Overview
- El Salvador’s president joined Costa Rican leaders in San José to launch construction of the CACCO facility modeled on the CECOT mega-jail.
- Officials project space for about 5,000 inmates at a cost of roughly $35 million, citing a $25 million saving from Salvadoran-donated blueprints and technical aid.
- The Supreme Electoral Tribunal rejected complaints seeking to block the visit but cautioned foreign delegations against political involvement, prompting President Rodrigo Chaves to apologize to Bukele after criticizing the warning.
- Opposition leaders labeled the project a campaign ploy and questioned its scope, as polls place ruling-party candidate Laura Fernandez ahead before the Feb. 1 election.
- Bukele urged tougher crackdowns on organized crime, while rights groups highlighted alleged abuses linked to CECOT and mass arrests under El Salvador’s state of emergency.