Mega prison in El Salvador: Chilling pics show ‘plans’ to zap street gangs at largest jail in Americas

El Salvador has opened a new maximum-security prison, the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT), to combat the country's violent street gangs. The first group of hardcore gang members have been transferred to the new prison, which is located in Tecoluca, approximately 46 miles from the country's capital, San Salvador.

Chilling photographs have emerged, showing the conditions inside the new facility. The inmates are barefoot, heavily-tattooed, and stripped down to their underwear. They are seen kneeling, shoulder to shoulder, with their hands behind their heads and chains linking them together. The heavily-armed guards tower over the prisoners, who are forced to crouch down on the ground.

The CECOT is being touted as the largest prison in the Americas. Authorities claim that the facility will eventually house up to 40,000 inmates in eight buildings, each with 32 cells that can hold around 100 prisoners. However, each cell has only two sinks and two toilets.

El Salvador's President, Nayib Bukele, announced the transfer of the first 2,000 gang members to the new prison in a single operation. In a tweet, Bukele declared that the new facility will be their new home, where they will live for decades, mixed up and unable to cause further harm to the population.

The new prison is part of Bukele's controversial campaign against gangs, which he launched last year. Bukele has promised to take a hard-line stance against gang violence and to eradicate the country's street gangs. The initiative has raised concerns among human rights observers, who argue that it violates basic constitutional rights, such as allowing security forces to arrest suspects without a warrant.

The new prison has sparked a fierce debate about the appropriate way to deal with gang violence. While some argue that harsher punishments are necessary to combat gang activity, others contend that the government's approach violates fundamental human rights.