El Salvador Prison: Inside Bukele’s Mega-Jail | 60 Minutes

A 60 Minutes segment that was previously pulled by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss is scheduled to air Sunday night. The report focuses on the Trump administration’s deportation of Venezuelans to El Salvador and the conditions they faced in the CECOT prison.

“Inside CECOT” to Air After Delay

The segment, titled “Inside CECOT,” will air as part of Sunday’s broadcast, according to program listings. CNN’s Brian Stelter first reported the news.

The report details how hundreds of Venezuelans were deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration, despite having no prior connection to the country, under the claim they were terrorists. The U.S. government has not yet released the names of all those deported and placed in CECOT, one of El Salvador’s most severe prisons. Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi interviews released deportees who describe brutal and torturous conditions within the prison.

CBS News stated to The Hollywood Reporter that leadership has “always been committed to airing the 60 Minutes CECOT piece as soon as it was ready,” adding that the broadcast demonstrates the network’s “independence and the power of our storytelling.”

Initial Decision to Spike Report

The decision to air the segment without prior promotion is unusual for the newsmagazine. Sunday’s show will air during an NFL playoff game, likely resulting in lower ratings than a typical episode.

The report, featuring Alfonsi and producer Oriana Zill de Granados, was initially halted by Weiss in December, hours before its scheduled broadcast. CBS News initially stated the segment was pulled due to a need for “additional reporting.”

Weiss later defended her decision, explaining in a memo to staff that the story needed further development. “While the story presented powerful testimony of torture at CECOT, it did not advance the ball,” she wrote. “The public knows that Venezuelans have been subjected to horrific treatment at this prison. To run a story on this subject two months later, we need to do more.”

Weiss further stated that she wanted to secure on-camera interviews with key officials. “Our viewers come first. Not the listing schedule or anything else. That’s my north star and I hope it’s yours, too.”

Despite being stopped from airing in the United States, the full original 60 Minutes episode became available online after the Canadian network that airs the show released it. Clips of the segment were subsequently shared on social media platforms.

Alfonsi expressed criticism of Weiss’ decision in an email to colleagues, stating she believed the move was politically motivated. “Our story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices. It is factually correct,” she wrote. “In my view, pulling it now…is not an editorial decision, it is a political one.”

Weiss had previously stated her intention to air the story once her concerns were addressed.