'Clearly A Political Prisoner': Van Hollen Presses Trump Nom Over US Lawyer Jailed In El Salvador

[00:00:01]I thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[00:00:04]Uh Mr. Segura, uh if confirmed, would you agree that uh part of the goal of someone in your position would be to encourage other countries in the Western Hemisphere to respect human rights and political rights?

[00:00:22]>> Well, thank you for the question, Senator, and and yes, to your question.

[00:00:26]>> So, I I do want to raise the situation in El Salvador uh because over 4 years ago, President Bukele initiated a 30-day state of exception.

[00:00:37]This was a state of emergency uh where they suspended certain constitutional rights, like the right of free assembly, like the rights of due process, like the right to eat access to legal counsel.

[00:00:50]Um for a good purpose, which was to crack down on gang violence. But, here's the thing.

[00:00:57]He said it was going to be 30 days. It's now over 4 years. And by many credible reports, uh the prisons are filled with people who are not gang members, but people who were swept up in this state of exception. Um and they've used the state of exception to silence dissent, uh detaining political opponents, anti-corruption advocates, human rights defenders. Uh there was a very credible report in March of this year by a Salvadoran human rights organization that said that more than 500 people had died in state custody under the so-called state of exception.

[00:01:37]And so, my question to you is pretty straightforward. Will you work with us, if confirmed, to address some of these human rights abuses in El Salvador?

[00:01:47]>> Well, thank you, Senator, for the question. And uh we obviously have a bilateral relationship with the Salvadorans, um a very productive one, um and countering uh cartels, narcotraffickers, the security situation, and so I I I can commit to working with the committee on on a whole host of issues with El Salvador, including certain allegations or or other information, and I can commit to that.

[00:02:13]>> I I didn't I didn't really hear a clear answer to whether or not you would work with this committee to ensure better compliance with the government of El Salvador with respect to human rights. You mentioned the bilateral relationship, and of course that bilateral relationship includes the fact that the government of El Salvador colluded with this administration to take and hold people in violation of their constitutional rights.

[00:02:46]In fact, the government of El Salvador has been very open that we paid them money and they took these individuals without looking any deeper into the allegations against them. So, yes, we have a bilateral relationship.

[00:03:01]We have bilateral relationships with lots of countries.

[00:03:04]But my question to you is is more specific, which is will you work with us to encourage the government of El Salvador to respect human rights and political rights.

[00:03:17]>> Senator, like I mentioned, this is a big priority of mine, and so I will work with the committee.

[00:03:21]>> Got it. So, there's there are some US citizens that have been swept up apparently, and our goal is just to make sure that they have a fair hearing and a fair opportunity with respect to due process.

[00:03:38]Would you agree that the State Department has no higher priority than protecting the safety and security of US citizens abroad?

[00:03:45]>> Of course, that's a very important priority, Senator.

[00:03:48]>> So, can you work with us to ensure that these US citizens who are detained receive the due process that we would expect the government to provide them?

[00:04:01]>> Um so I'm not in the bureau right now, so I don't have details, facts, circumstances.

[00:04:08]And I believe that there's current litigation in a lot of these cases and the department doesn't comment on those.

[00:04:14]So I can follow up with the committee once in the seat.

[00:04:18]And so and and I look forward to doing that.

[00:04:20]>> All right. Let me raise one last case.

[00:04:22]This is not a US citizen, but it's the case of Ruth Lopez. She's an anti-corruption lawyer. I've I've met with her before. I recently met with her husband because she's been detained without you know, by the by the government of on sort of We don't even know exactly what the charges are, but they're clearly political charges. She's clearly a political prisoner.

[00:04:48]Would you work with us to seek to secure the release of political prisoners in El Salvador?

[00:04:55]>> Uh so Senator, I I can commit to working with the committee. I haven't been briefed on It was a Miss Lopez, was it? Okay. Yeah, so I I haven't been committed on briefed on this issue, the the facts, the circumstances, but this is a big role of mine if confirmed is to come in front of this committee and work with the committee. So I can I can definitely do that.

[00:05:16]>> All right. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[00:05:17]>> Thank you.