Peru to Build Two Prisons After Bukele Visit
EL SALVADOR · DIPLOMACY
Key Facts
- The country El Salvador is a Central American country led by President Nayib Bukele, known for gang mass arrests.
- What happened Peru’s President Keiko Fujimori and Bukele signed a joint declaration in San Salvador on Thursday 29 October 2026.
- The deals Peru’s presidency says agreements on health, security, justice and tourism were signed, plus a Bilateral Partnership.
- Prisons Fujimori said Peru will start two new prisons, one for high-risk inmates built on something similar to CECOT.
- Still open No agreement text, budget or timetable has been published.
The Fujimori Bukele agreements were signed at the Presidential House in San Salvador on Thursday 29 October 2026. Peru’s President Keiko Fujimori and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele signed a joint declaration, and their ministers signed four cooperation agreements.
For US readers it matters because the deals tie Peru to the prison model that held US-deported migrants. Our earlier report on Fujimori’s visit to Bukele covered the trip, and this report covers what was signed.
In Plain English
A memorandum of understanding is a signed statement of what two governments plan to do together. Unlike a treaty, it is usually not binding law, while a joint declaration is a short political text that sets direction.
CECOT, short for Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo, is El Salvador’s mega-prison for suspected gang members. Fujimori toured it on the morning of 29 October before the signing.
What Happened
Bukele received Fujimori with military honours, anthems and a mounted escort at the Presidential House, and the two presidents then signed a joint declaration. Peru’s presidency says it commits both countries to deepen the relationship with an agenda built around results.
Peru’s presidency also says the Fujimori Bukele agreements cover health, security, justice and tourism, along with a Bilateral Partnership between the two countries. Fujimori said the visit aims to raise 160 years of friendship to a strategic alliance.
Peru’s delegation included Foreign Minister Carlos Espá, Interior Minister César Astudillo, Justice Minister Ernesto Álvarez and Health Minister Luis Dyer. Earlier that day, Salvadoran Minister of Security and Justice Gustavo Villatoro guided them through the CECOT prison.
What Fujimori Said Afterwards
Fujimori said Peru has several prisons close to completion and will start two more, one for high-risk inmates built on something similar to CECOT. The second would hold lower-risk inmates and run productive workshops under a plan called Cero Ocio, or Zero Idleness.
She also invited Bukele to make a formal visit to Peru, and said Peru aspires to a free trade agreement beyond the Fujimori Bukele agreements. Bukele said El Salvador has put its strategies and prison system at Peru’s disposal so that Peru can evaluate and adapt them.
Why It Matters
Peru is now looking to copy parts of a prison system that Washington used for deportees. The United States sent 252 Venezuelan deportees to CECOT in 2025, and rights groups documented abuses there.
Human Rights Watch, a New York rights group, and Cristosal, a Salvadoran one, described torture of those deportees in a November 2025 report. Any Peruvian prison built on similar ideas will face the same scrutiny, which is why the Fujimori Bukele agreements will be watched abroad.
What It Means for You
Investors in Peru should watch for prison contracts, since Fujimori says two new prisons will be started. No amounts or tenders have been announced, so it is too early to size any market.
Travellers gain little right away, but the tourism agreement points to closer cooperation between the two countries. Our background pages on El Salvador and on Bukele explain the country for newcomers.
What Is Not Known
The texts of the Fujimori Bukele agreements and of the joint declaration have not been published, so their exact duties and deadlines are open. No budget, cost or start date has been given for any of them.
Peru has not said where the two new prisons will stand, what they will cost or when building will start. A date for Bukele’s visit to Peru has not been set, and no free trade agreement has been signed.
More: El Salvador news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Fujimori and Bukele sign?
They signed a joint declaration, and Peru’s presidency says agreements on health, security, justice and tourism were also signed. A Bilateral Partnership was set up as well.
Did Peru and El Salvador sign a trade deal?
No trade deal was signed. Fujimori said Peru aspires to one, but no talks or timetable were announced.
Will Peru build a prison like CECOT?
Fujimori announced two new prisons, one for high-risk inmates built on something similar to CECOT. No site, cost or start date has been announced.
Sources: Presidency of Peru, press release on the meeting of Presidents Fujimori and Bukele, 29 October 2026; Presidency of Peru, press release on the agreements signed and Fujimori’s statements, 29 October 2026; Presidency of Peru, press release on the delegation’s visit to the CECOT prison, 29 October 2026; Human Rights Watch and Cristosal, report on Venezuelan deportees held in El Salvador’s mega-prison, 12 November 2025.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief