El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said his government is considering a plan to grant early, conditional release to inmates held at the country's maximum-security mega-prison, known as CECOT.

Oct. 14 (UPI) -- El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said his government is considering a plan to grant early, conditional release to inmates held at the country's maximum-security mega-prison, known as CECOT, for collaborating with gangs.

During a news conference Tuesday, Bukele estimated that the measure could benefit about 50% of those detained under the country's state of emergency, although he did not specify how many prisoners could qualify or when the plan might take effect.

Bukele revealed that a government commission operating separately from the courts and the Attorney General's Office is reviewing the cases of more than 92,000 people arrested during the 4 1/2 years of emergency rule imposed to combat gangs, local newspaper La Prensa Gráfica reported.

The president distinguished between different levels of involvement with criminal organizations, arguing that gang leaders who controlled communities should not be treated the same as residents who lived under their control and provided minor assistance.

The proposed measure would apply to people who collaborated with gangs, with eligibility determined through individual assessments. Those released would remain subject to conditions and monitoring.

The plan calls for supervision and case reviews rather than acquittals. It comes amid criticism of mass arrests and concerns over due process protections under the state of emergency.

Bukele also defended maintaining the emergency measures, which have been in effect since March 2022. He said that although he would like to lift them, he believes there are still reasons to keep them in place, according to El Diario de Hoy.

The announcement came the same day Bukele spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about protecting El Salvador's critical infrastructure and ports from what Washington describes as "malign foreign influence," according to the State Department.

The warning reflects Washington's foreign policy efforts to counter China's growing investment in strategic sectors across Central America. El Salvador currently has energy and port projects underway involving Chinese and Turkish investment groups.

Rubio urged Bukele to align with the United States and other strategic partners in advancing shared priorities at the United Nations, including diplomatic pressure on Cuba.

The secretary of state emphasized that the Cuban government would not implement domestic democratic reforms as long as it believed it had the support of the international community.

El Salvador remains aligned with Washington's economic and diplomatic pressure on Havana.