The Trade
El Salvador offered to incarcerate criminals of any nationality deported from the US and house them in its mega-jail, a deal made the same day that the US offered to help El Salvador develop nuclear energy capabilities, CBS News reported.
According to El Salvador’s Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill Tinoco, the civil nuclear cooperation agreement signed by El Salvador and the US aims at providing the country with “competitive” energy pricing while cutting its dependence on favorable geopolitics and oil prices.
Tinoco explained that the US’ experience on civil nuclear energy will provide El Salvador with the tools to train the expert personnel who will manage the technical and regulatory aspects of this “unprecedented” transition.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved the nuclear agreement immediately after praising El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s offer to take individuals incarcerated in the US, including US citizens, as an “offer of friendship” that no other country ever made, the BBC reported.
Bukele said he would house convicted criminals in El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) – a mega-jail capable of holding up to 40,000 people – charging the US a fee that would be “relatively low” for the country but “significant” enough to make El Salvador’s prison system sustainable.
El Salvador’s nuclear plans are in a very early stage. According to the World Nuclear Association, the US is the largest producer of nuclear energy. Nuclear supporters say that this resource is one of the most reliable and environmentally friendly energy sources, while critics believe it is dangerous, wasteful, and expensive.
Before receiving significant exports of US nuclear material and equipment, partner countries will need to sign a 123 Agreement intended to promote mutual nuclear nonproliferation between the United States and its partners.
Because El Salvador is not one of the eight countries able to enrich uranium and procure the necessary fuel for nuclear power, it has to rely on other countries for new nuclear technology.
El Salvador signed a similar agreement with Argentina last October.
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