By all criteria, this a concentration camp. Not “concentration camp” as rhetorical inflation, or emotionally manipulative shorthand, or edgy metaphor—but as in: literally.
As in: detention without trial, state control, inhumane living conditions, forced labor, dehumanization, brutal violence, isolation from accountability, psychological torture, and—by every available logical extension—murder.
That last one we can’t yet verify in the strict evidentiary sense, but the circumstances suggest it like smoke suggests fire, and they are already trying to hide their actions and deny what is occurring.
It’s nothing new. I would have linked to the archive photos of Abu Ghraib prison photos, but I’m not sure it’s allowed, since they’re NSFW. The fact that Bukele declared that no one can escape pretty much confirms that it’s an actual death camp. There are metal bunks just like the ones in Auschwitz. The prisoners are kept inside for 23.5 hours, with half an hour of exercise in the lobby. The cells claim to have 1 sq. m. for each prisoner, with 80-100 prisoners, and there is no sunlight, only 24/7 artificial light. The prisoners don’t speak(allegedly), and have no clocks or reading material. Some have lost their voice from not speaking. It’s impossible to keep so many people in one place; some detainees must have died eventually to make space for the newcomers. Food is scant, and violence is common.
Funnily enough, I’ve seen a couple of articles refer to them as ‘gulags’. They aren’t fucking gulags. Spreading their propaganda even when they see something this horrifying. It would be funny if it wasn’t nauseating.
Well prisoners sent to gulags had to be sentenced (in poorly conducted unfair trials, but still there at leas was a sentence), this is unfair to gulags from a legal view.
Most gulag prisoners were not political prisoners, they were common criminals. Most of them also got out after serving their sentence.
Under Stalin in 1930s I dont think so. But otherwise sure, closely under half. After stalin many were released, some officially pardoned. however aspects of the great purge are relevant today, I think that the reference considers precisely the political prisoners.
No one mentioned Stalin.
Ok but the comparison of the salvadorian prison would make more sense. Maybe its meant differently, but I thought that the reference meant that its almost ‘as bad’ as gulags, well there had to be trial for you to be sent there.