Summary4 min read

Bulwark Takes: Detailed Summary of "Senator Confirms Abrego Garcia Alive, While Bukele Makes Sick Jokes"

Podcast Information:

Title: Bulwark Takes
Host: The Bulwark Team (including Tim Miller, Sarah Longwell, Bill Kristol, and more)
Episode Title: Senator Confirms Abrego Garcia Alive, While Bukele Makes Sick Jokes
Release Date: April 18, 2025

Introduction

In this episode of Bulwark Takes, host Tim Miller delivers a comprehensive update on the latest developments surrounding Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a detained individual whose status has recently been confirmed alive. The episode delves into the contrasting responses from Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, highlighting the geopolitical tensions and human rights concerns at play.

Confirmation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia's Status

Tim Miller opens the discussion with breaking news: Kilmar Abrego Garcia is confirmed alive and has met with Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. This revelation brings a mix of cautious optimism and ongoing concerns regarding Garcia's situation and the broader implications for other detainees.

Tim Miller (00:00):
"We have breaking news. Kilmar Abrego Garcia is alive and was able to meet with Senator Chris Van Holland of Maryland earlier this evening."

Senator Van Hollen's Advocacy

Senator Chris Van Hollen has taken an active role in advocating for Garcia's rights. During his visit to El Salvador, Van Hollen met with the vice president and vigorously pushed for Garcia's access to legal counsel. He emphasized that denying Garcia this right constitutes a violation of international law.

Chris Van Hollen (01:05):
"This inability to communicate with his lawyers is a violation of international law. El Salvador is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. And that covenant says, and I quote, a detained or imprisoned person shall be entitled to communicate and consult with his legal counsel."

Miller underscores the significance of this stance, noting that it sets a precedent that could extend protections to other detainees, including Venezuelans held in similar conditions.

Tim Miller (01:59):
"It's interesting that he said that and then El Salvador responded because that might be a pressure point in the future, seeing as that would mean that the Venezuelans who are in Sukkot would also have access to an attorney or be able to talk to a representative as well, if El Salvador doesn't want to violate international civil rights agreements that they have been a party to."

President Bukele's Response and Social Media Activity

In stark contrast to Van Hollen's serious advocacy, President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador has taken a mocking tone on social media. Bukele's initial tweet suggested that Garcia's survival was miraculous, portraying him as enjoying leisure time in El Salvador, a depiction that raises skepticism about the detainee's actual conditions.

Tim Miller (02:50):
"Kilmar Brego Garcia, miraculously risen from the death camps and torture, now sipping margaritas with Senator Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador."

Bukele's tweet included a misleading image that appeared to misrepresent the reality of Garcia's situation, possibly intended to undermine the seriousness of the concerns raised by Van Hollen.

Furthermore, Bukele continued his trolling behavior by retweeting conservative influencers who criticized the situation, thereby amplifying his dismissive stance.

Tim Miller (04:15):
"Bukele then continues his trolling of all of us by retweeting a lot of conservative influencers who are replying to him..."

A particularly telling moment occurred when Bukele retweeted a critical response questioning the legitimacy of Garcia's status, effectively endorsing the skepticism surrounding the situation.

Tim Miller (05:00):
"Bukele retweeted that, you know, basically confirming that that is his point of view on this."

Broader Implications for Venezuelans in Custody

Miller highlights the broader implications of these developments, particularly for other Venezuelans detained in El Salvador's Sukkot facility. The confirmation of Garcia's status and Van Hollen's advocacy may pave the way for addressing the rights of other detainees, such as Andriy Andree, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

Tim Miller (06:30):
"If we can get Abrego Garcia out, why could we not get the other Venezuelans out? So that they also have a chance to get due process."

The episode underscores the potential for leveraging international pressure to ensure that all detainees receive fair treatment and access to legal representation, in line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Conclusions and Future Outlook

In conclusion, Tim Miller commends Senator Van Hollen for his proactive efforts in applying political pressure to secure Garcia's rights. He remains cautiously optimistic that these actions could extend protections to other detainees, challenging El Salvador's current practices under Bukele's administration.

Tim Miller (09:10):
"Good on him for demonstrating that pressure does work. The pressure can't. Political pressure can lead to results. Speaking up does matter. And so we appreciate you, Senator Van Hollen."

Miller emphasizes the importance of continued advocacy and monitoring of the situation, anticipating further developments and the potential for increased pressure on El Salvador to adhere to its international obligations.

This episode of Bulwark Takes provides a nuanced exploration of the ongoing human rights issues in El Salvador, juxtaposing earnest political advocacy with dismissive authoritarian rhetoric. It serves as a critical reminder of the power of international pressure in safeguarding individual rights amidst geopolitical tensions.

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Transcript3 lines

[00:00]
Tim Miller
Hey, guys, it's Tim Miller from the Bulwark. We have breaking news. Kilmar Abrego Garcia is alive and was able to meet with Senator Chris Van Holland of Maryland earlier this evening. We have now heard both from Senator Van Hollen and from El Salvador President Bukele separately on social media with very different tones. So I want to give you a run through of what happened. You know, there's obviously some modest good news. There's also a lot to be concerned about yet still, Bill. So earlier today, Van Hollen was in El Salvador, met with the vice president, was banging down the door, tried to get access to Abrego Garcia. He gave a press conference in El Salvador that I think was pretty significant because there he made the case that not giving Abrego Garcia access to a lawyer violated El Salvador's international political covenant that they had signed. And this is going to be important. So I want to watch a little bit of Senator Van Hollen talking about that earlier.
[01:05]
Chris Van Hollen
This inability to communicate with his lawyers is a violation of international law. El Salvador is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. And that covenant says, and I quote, a detained or imprisoned person shall be entitled to communicate and consult with his legal counsel, unquote. I should say. Also on this trip, I met with some representatives of human rights and civil society groups who expressed concerns about many things, including the inability to. To communicate with prisoners in sicot.
[02:00]
Tim Miller
It's interesting that he said that and then El Salvador responded because that might be a pressure point in the future, seeing as that would mean that the Venezuelans who are in Sukkot would also have access to an attorney or be able to talk to a representative as well, if El Salvador doesn't want to violate international civil rights agreements that they have been a party to. So that's noteworthy. Then first we had Bukaki Bukele's tweet. I guess he wanted to get out ahead of Van Hollen. He sent a snarky tweet that was so snarky that there was like a moment where people were wondering if this was real or AI or whatever. But he wrote this. We'll put it on the screen here. Kilmar Brego Garcia, miraculously risen from the death camps and torture, now sipping margaritas with Senator Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador. So a couple of observations there. If you just look at the picture, those don't look like margaritas to me. Obviously, we have some more important items here, but it's pretty clear they're Trying to kind of act like, you know, everything's okay and he's just kind of hanging out at the White Lotus or whatever. And so they put these little cherries on top of what appears to be, who knows, white rum, margarita water, dirty water, I don't know. But that's not a fucking margarita, I'll tell you that. Bukele then continues his trolling of all of us by retweeting a lot of conservative influencers who are replying to him, including one significant one that I want to get to in a second. But first, I want to show you Chris Van Hollen's tweet, more sincere tweet about this meeting. Van Hollen showed this. It's a more intimate picture of him with Abrego Garcia. He said that was his main goal of the trip, was to meet with Kilmar. He had the chance to call his wife to pass along his message of love. It's very sweet. That's nice. And he looks forward to providing a full update upon his return. So hopefully we'll have more on that for you tomorrow. So that's good that Van Hollen. Van Holland's tone was not dire, you know, there. Bukele's behavior, on the other hand, leaves a lot to be concerned about. He sends a follow up tweet that says now that he's been confirmed healthy, he gets the honor of staying in El Salvador's custody. We don't know for sure, I guess, but that seems to imply that he's going back to Sukkot. Disgusting jail prison camp where they're just treated so horribly, have so little access to basic human necessities. So there's that element of it from Bukele. Even more concerning was this. He's positioning this as a troll. Somebody replied to him tweeting after thinking on it. My guess is this is a troll. So a sitting Senator is photographed with a member of MS.13 and he will be returned back to Sukkot. Bukele retweeted that, you know, basically confirming that that is his point of view on this. So a lot more left to figure out. We will be anxiously waiting a response from Senator Van Hollen. In the meantime, you know, for me, the main takeaway is this at least opens the door to action that would hopefully potentially protect the rights of both Kilmar, Abrego Garcia, but also the Venezuelans such as Andriy Andree, for those who don't recall, is the J stylist that was taken to Sukkot that we've been talking about a lot on this channel. His lawyer sent a tweet, retweeted me earlier. Basically, you know, saying that her main question now is, where is Andre? And that is mine as well. If we can get Abrego Garcia out, why could we not get the other Venezuelans out? So that they also have a chance to get due process. They would also presumably be protected under the international agreement that El Salvador is a party to when it comes to the rights of those who are imprisoned, having access to counsel. So, you know, I'm hoping that this can be broadened out to that and that maybe Bukele thinks this is a troll. But once, you know, kind of the cat's out of the bag, this demonstrates that they can be pressured and we can try to recoup some rights to people that if they're there, no matter what. But if they're there, wrongfully have been traumatized beyond imagination by our country and by this smart ass, bukkake wannabe, cool guy dictator with adult braces in El Salvador. So that is that. There is your update for this evening. Proof of life of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. And more to come from Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen. Good on him for demonstrating that pressure does work. The pressure can't. Political pressure can lead to results. Speaking up does matter. And so we appreciate you, Senator Van Hollen.