El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele turned Nicolás Maduro’s capture into a masterclass of political trolling, simultaneously humiliating his domestic opponents and a U.S. senator who dared defend the Venezuelan dictator.
Story Highlights
- Bukele posted a video exposing his opponents’ past support for Maduro after the Venezuelan president’s U.S. military capture
- U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen criticized the operation as an “illegal act of war” for oil
- Bukele fired back at Van Hollen, accusing him of “defending thugs and bullies”
- The exchange highlights broader tensions over U.S. deportations of 252 Venezuelan prisoners to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison
- Bukele’s response connects Venezuelan authoritarianism to his domestic political opponents from the FMLN party
Bukele’s Strategic Political Theater
When U.S. forces captured Maduro on Venezuelan soil, Bukele seized the moment with surgical precision. The Salvadoran president posted a video featuring Maduro’s old threats alongside footage of El Salvador’s leftist FMLN party leaders embracing the dictator. The timing wasn’t coincidental—it was calculated political warfare designed to discredit his opponents while positioning himself as the anti-authoritarian champion.
El Salvador President Bukele Trolls Maduro After Arrest; Orders 'No More Margaritas' for Sen. Van Hollen – RedState
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The video included images of fugitive ex-President Salvador Sánchez Cerén, whose FMLN government had publicly backed Maduro during Venezuela’s darkest periods. Bukele’s message was clear: his political opponents weren’t just wrong about policy—they were complicit with tyranny. This move demonstrates how modern populist leaders weaponize international crises for domestic political gain.
Van Hollen’s Misguided Defense Backfires
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland walked straight into Bukele’s trap by condemning the Maduro capture as an “illegal act of war” motivated by Trump’s desire to seize Venezuelan oil. Van Hollen’s reflexive opposition to any U.S. military action, regardless of the target, revealed the kind of thinking that puts ideological consistency above moral clarity.
Bukele’s response was swift and brutal: “So all you want is to defend thugs and bullies.” The exchange perfectly encapsulated the broader political realignment where traditional foreign policy positions no longer hold. Here was a Latin American president schooling an American senator about standing up to authoritarianism. Van Hollen’s position—defending Maduro while criticizing the country that made his capture possible—exemplified everything wrong with progressive foreign policy thinking.
The CECOT Connection Reveals Deeper Strategy
This confrontation didn’t emerge from a vacuum. For months, Bukele has been housing 252 deported Venezuelan prisoners in his notorious CECOT mega-prison, allegedly members of the Tren de Aragua gang. He had proposed a prisoner swap—252 Venezuelans in CECOT for 252 Venezuelan political prisoners. Maduro rejected the deal outright, a decision that now looks particularly shortsighted given his current circumstances.
The families of Venezuelan political prisoners opposed Bukele’s swap proposal, viewing the deportees as innocent “merchandise” rather than criminals. This opposition highlighted the complex moral calculations involved when dealing with authoritarian regimes. Yet Bukele’s willingness to take custody of these deportees—whether gang members or not—demonstrated his commitment to being a reliable U.S. partner on immigration enforcement.
Why This Matters Beyond Social Media Drama
Bukele’s trolling represents more than just internet entertainment—it signals a fundamental shift in hemispheric politics. Traditional leftist alliances that once dominated Latin America are crumbling, replaced by leaders who understand that aligning with American interests while maintaining sovereignty offers a path to prosperity and security.
The broader implications extend to American politics as well. Van Hollen’s reflexive defense of Maduro exposes how progressive foreign policy instincts remain trapped in an outdated anti-American framework. When a Latin American president has to remind an American senator about the moral imperative of opposing dictatorships, something has gone fundamentally wrong with Democratic Party thinking on international affairs. Bukele’s success in combining tough security measures with economic growth offers a compelling alternative to both socialist authoritarianism and progressive weakness.
