The Trump administration deported hundreds of Venezuelans accused of ties to the Tren de Aragua gang sending them to El Salvador's notorious mega-prison The prison is notorious for the ruthless way it treats prisoners which human rights organizations say is inhumane and violates human rights CNN's David Culver reports on the conditions inside this high-security facility housing the alleged criminals '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" The U.S. has sent hundreds of people to the notorious mega-prison in El Salvador known as CECOT. William Brangham discussed conditions inside that facility with Noah Bullock, the executive director of Cristosal, an international human rights group based in El Salvador. Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. So, apart from those legal fights, the fact remains that the U.S. has sent hundreds of people to the notorious mega-prison in El Salvador known as CECOT. For more on the conditions inside that facility, we turn to Noah Bullock. He's the executive director of Cristosal, which is an international human rights group based in El Salvador. Noah Bullock, thank you so much for being here. Who are the prisoners held in CECOT. And how does that compare to other prisons in the country? Noah Bullock, Executive Director, Cristosal: Yes, thank you, William, for the opportunity. The CECOT prison has become sort of the public face of President Bukele's security strategy, which is understood as a state of exception. And the prisoners that are often depicted in those photos are prisoners who have literally the names of the gangs that they belong to tattooed on their face. For people who watch El Salvador, it's evident that those are the profiles of people, older gang members, who have likely been in prison with sentences for a long time. It's to say that these types of prisoners have been — were in other prisons and then were likely transferred to the CECOT once it was constructed. That's different from what we have documented in the state — in our monitoring of the state of exception. There have been 85,000 Salvadorans that have been detained under this emergency declaration, and they are being held in older maximum-security prisons. And according to our investigations, those prisons may even have more adverse conditions than the ones that are depicted in the CECOT. We have documented systematic physical beatings, torture, intentional denial of access to food, water, clothing, health care. And the combination of both the physical abuse and the denial of basic needs has led to the death of at least 368 people, according to our investigations. So is that comparison that you're making implying that CECOT is a better prison as far as — I mean, because we saw the U.S. homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, there with a lot of those prisoners standing behind her. And the — it seemed that the emphasis she was trying to make is that this is the toughest of the tough and you don't want to get sent here. So are the conditions in that prison better? Yes, the CECOT has definitely been presented as the model of how strongmen should deal with the worst of the worst. And there's no doubt that there's an implicit cruelty and dehumanization in the treatment of the prisoners there. They leave the lights on 24 hours a day. They restrict the time of like about an hour a day, apparently, that prisoners can leave their cells. The overcrowding is excessive to international standards and the access to toilets and other hygiene clearly seem to be limited. But those conditions seem better, in the sense that in other prisons we have seen testimonies of prisoners taking turns standing and lying down due to overcrowding. Skin disease is rampant. It's more likely that prisoners in the other prisons have scabies on their skin or even signs of physical abuse than the tattoos that you see in the images that are often projected from CECOT. So, in addition to Abrego Garcia, this man who was taken from Maryland admittedly now by the U.S. mistakenly and put in this prison, it seems like all of these prisoners that have been deported from the U.S. are in somewhat of a legal limbo. The U.S. says they're not in American custody anymore, and yet they haven't been charged with any crimes. So are you able to access or able to talk to any of those prisoners to give us a sense of what their status is like? One of the commonalities among all the maximum-security prisons is that families and lawyers do not have access to the prisoners. They're entirely cut off. Under international standards, that on itself could constitute a situation of forced disappearances. Many family members in El Salvador don't know if their family members are dead or alive. And now that situation has been transferred to Venezuelan families, who aren't able to verify whether their family members are dead or alive. The challenge for — judicially for the people being deported is, like you said, these are people who haven't been convicted of anything. They're being held in a country, a third country, where there's no clear jurisdiction. What prosecutor could investigate the crimes they allegedly committed? What judge could even see their cases, and what judge could oversee their rights while they're in detention? All right, that is Noah Bullock, who is executive director of Cristosal in El Salvador. Thank you so much for sharing your information with us. William Brangham is an award-winning correspondent, producer, and substitute anchor for the PBS News Hour. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. © 1996 - 2025 NewsHour Productions LLC. All Rights Reserved. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Subscribe to Here's the Deal with Lisa Desjardins Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. The Trump administration and the president of El Salvador said they struck a deal allowing the U.S. to ship detained migrants and imprisoned criminals to a mega-prison there. (AP video shot by: Amaranta Marentes) Inmates attend a class on social behavior from inside their shared cell during a press tour of the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, in Tecololuca, El Salvador, Oct. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez, File) A body screening device used to register inmates is displayed during a media tour of the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Feb. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez, File) Prison guards stand outside holding cells during a media tour of the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Feb. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez, File) The Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, stands in Tecoluca, El Salvador, March 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez, File) Inmates exercise under the watch of prison guards during a press tour of the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, in Tecololuca, El Salvador, Oct. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez, File) A guard speaks on a phone during a media tour of the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Feb. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez, File) Inmates attend class on social behavior during a press tour of the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, in Tecololuca, El Salvador, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023. Inmates wear masks as a precaution to not spread COVID-19. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez, File) The Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, stands in Tecoluca, El Salvador, late Feb. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez, File) “We have a constitution,” he acknowledged. ”But it’s a very generous offer ... obviously, the administration will have to make a decision.” In slickly produced videos, prisoners in boxer shorts are marched into prison yards and made to sit nearly atop each other. They are packed into cells without enough bunks for everyone. Even before his announcement with Rubio, Bukele had planned to put more people in prison. Bukele ordered the mega-prison built as he began his campaign against El Salvador’s gangs in March 2022. It opened a year later in the town of Tecoluca, about 72 kilometers (45 miles) east of the capital. Able to hold 40,000 inmates, the CECOT is made up of eight sprawling pavilions. Its cells hold 65 to 70 prisoners each. They do not receive visits. There are no programs preparing them to return to society after their sentences, no workshops or educational programs. They are never allowed outside. The exceptions are occasional motivational talks from prisoners who have gained a level of trust from prison officials. Prisoners sit in rows in the corridor outside their cells for the talks or are led through exercise regimens under the supervision of guards. Bukele’s justice minister has said that those held would never return to their communities. The prison’s dining halls, break rooms, gym and board games are for guards. In April 2021, a year before the start of the state of emergency, the government reported nearly 36,000 prisoners. The government doesn’t regularly update the figure but the human rights organization Cristosal reported that in March 2024 El Salvador — population 6.36 million — held 110,000 people, including those sentenced to prison and those still awaiting trial. AP writer Matthew Lee in San Salvador contributed to this report. The White House admits a “clerical error” was to blame for mistakenly deporting a Maryland man with protected legal status to a notorious El Salvador prison. Still, it asserts the man was an MS-13 gang member and will not be allowed to return to the U.S. In this photo provided by El Salvador’s presidential press office, prison guards transfer deportees from the U.S., alleged to be Venezuelan gang members, to the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (El Salvador presidential press office via AP) Lawyers for Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, 29, maintain he is not affiliated with MS-13 or any other street gang and argue the U.S. government “has never produced an iota of evidence” that he does. Abrego Garcia was arrested in Baltimore on March 12 after working a shift as a sheet metal apprentice in Baltimore and picking up his 5-year-old son, who has autism and other disabilities, from his grandmother’s house, his lawyers’ complaint stated. At a news conference, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about the Trump administration acknowledging it mistakenly deported a Maryland man with protected legal status to a notorious El Salvador prison U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials admitted in a court filing on Monday to an “administrative error” in deporting him. The government’s acknowledgment sparked immediate uproar from immigration advocates while prompting Vice President JD Vance and other administration officials to repeat the allegation that he’s a gang member. Abrego Garcia came to the U.S. illegally from El Salvador around 2011, “fleeing gang violence,” according to his lawyers, and made his way to Maryland to join his older brother, a U.S. citizen. “Beginning around 2006, gang members had stalked, hit, and threatened to kidnap and kill him in order to coerce his parents to succumb to their increasing demands for extortion,” the complaint states of his life in his native country. Abrego Garcia later married a U.S. citizen and worked in construction to support her, their son and her two children from a previous relationship. The allegations about his affiliation with MS-13 stem from a 2019 arrest outside a Maryland Home Depot store, where he and other young men were looking for work, according to the complaint. County police asked if he was a gang member and demanded information about other gang members. After explaining that he wasn’t a gang member and had no information, he was turned over to ICE. ICE argued against Abrego Garcia’s release at a subsequent immigration court hearing because local police had “verified” his gang membership, the complaint said. The evidence they cited included his wearing of a Chicago Bulls hat and hoodie and a confidential informant’s claim that Abrego Garcia belonged to MS-13’s “Westerns clique” in Long Island, New York, despite having never lived there. Abrego Garcia filed for asylum, while his lawyer submitted a “voluminous evidentiary filing establishing his eligibility for protection and contesting the unfounded allegation of gang membership,” the complaint stated. In response, ICE cited the information previously provided by local police. An immigration judge denied Abrego Garcia’s asylum request in October 2019 but granted him protection from being deported back to El Salvador. He was released after ICE did not appeal. Abrego Garcia’s lawyers say “he has neither been convicted nor charged with any crime” and has fully complied with the conditions of his protected status, checking in with ICE yearly. Abrego Garcia’s lawyer, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, said U.S. government lawyers had multiple opportunities to try legally to deport him, including appealing the judge’s 2019 decision or deporting him elsewhere. “There are lots of things they could have done,” Sandoval-Moshenberg told The Associated Press. “But each one of those is in a court and gives him the opportunity to defend himself. And they didn’t do any of them. They just put him on an airplane.” In its court filing on Monday, the Trump administration said ICE “was aware of his protection from removal to El Salvador,” but still deported Abrego Garcia “because of an administrative error.” An ICE official called his deportation to El Salvador “an oversight” in a statement submitted to the court on Monday. Robert Cerna, ICE’s acting field office director of enforcement and removal operations, wrote that it was “carried out in good faith based on the existence of a final order of removal and Abrego-Garcia’s purported membership in MS-13.” The administration argued against his return to the U.S., citing alleged gang ties and claiming that he is a danger to the community. They also argued that the court lacks jurisdiction in the matter because Abrego Garcia is no longer in U.S. custody. The administration wrote that Abrego Garcia’s attorneys “do not argue that the United States can exercise its will over a foreign sovereign. The most they ask for is a court order that the United States entreat — or even cajole — a close ally.” In response to criticism, Vance posted a screenshot of court documents related to Abrego Garcia’s 2019 bond proceeding on the social platform X and wrote that “it’s gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported while ignoring citizens they victimize.” Abrego Garcia was deported at the same time on March 15 but under the U.S.’s general immigration laws, not the wartime powers act, the White House said. Finley reported from Norfolk, Virginia. Associated Press writers Rebecca Santana in Washington, Sarah Brumfield in Baltimore and Brian Witte in Prince George’s County, Maryland, contributed to this report. During more than a year, Perla Krauze (Mexico City, 1953) developed an inquiry of the local materials of the state of Puebla, carrying out several tours to explore multiple approaches to the production of a State with a wealth of natural resources. Krauze chose to work with the earth and its processes. To do so, she began an intensive analysis made possible and accompanied by the producers, carvers, and workers of the diverse stone elements. The numerous forms of presentation, organization and classification of stones used by he local workshops implemented a bridge with previous works of the artist. Different forms of stacking, organizing and cataloguing materials created a dialogue with Krauze and the bond she establishes with these elements in her atelier. Thus, through multiple approximations, Perla Krauze proposes an approach to the lithic components of Puebla, to their most primitive characteristics and cultural consequences, reading it as the result of long and complex geological processes, transforming it into a container of a memory that integrates traces of diverse contexts and forms of life that have pervaded the surrounding communities. Funding for this segment was provided in part by: Center for Media Integrity of the Americas, Columbia Journalism School El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele was re-elected for a second term in a landslide win. Bukele has overseen a vast and brutal crackdown on gangs, transforming the nation from one of the deadliest to one of the safest in Latin America. But that peace has come at a cost with thousands of innocent people jailed. Amna Nawaz and producer Teresa Cebrian Aranda visited the country for this report. Last week, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele was officially reelected and a landslide win. Bukele first came into power in 2019. And for nearly two years, he's overseen a vast and brutal crackdown on gangs, transforming the nation from one of the deadliest in the world to one of the safest in Latin America. But that peace has come at a cost, thousands of innocent people jailed and critics say an undermined democracy. I traveled with producer Teresa Cebrian Aranda to two cities north of the capital of San Salvador to file this report. For two years, Patricia has prayed for her partner's return. Victor was one of the more than 75,000 people imprisoned in El Salvador's war on gangs. Patricia, El Salvador Resident (through interpreter): I don't know anything about him. And that's what hurts the most, because we were a very united family. His absence is felt in every room and at every meal. In 2022, Victor, whose identity we're protecting, and Patricia's son Rodrigo were arrested, they say without evidence, for alleged gang ties. Rodrigo was just 16 years old. Rodrigo, Former Detainee (through interpreter): When I had a stomach ache, a headache, instead of giving me medicine, they would take us all out and beat us. He says about 70 people shared a single cell, but only 10 or so were gang members. They were the ones who controlled the cell. They would ask for medicine, and they got it. And to those who weren't anything, they would treat us badly. Those from the neighboring cell would urinate on us, and the police wouldn't say anything. His stepfather, Victor, remains in prison. Police said he had a criminal record for petty crime decades ago, but Patricia denies any gang ties. She showed us documents she's filed for his release, dismissed by the court. Patricia has been gathering as many character testimonies, letters of recommendation from her church, from his employer, where he worked for 22 years. She's been submitting all of this to the courts, but so far they have made no difference. Victor was swept up as part of president Nayib Bukele crackdown on the gangs that have terrorized El Salvador. For more than two decades, warring factions of the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs killed and extorted civilians with impunity, turning El Salvador into the murder capital of the world. Nelson Rauda Zablah is the digital editor of El Faro, an acclaimed national investigative. Nelson Rauda Zablah , Digital Editor, El Faro: For the people who live under gang-controlled communities, for the people who use public transportation, for the people who maybe just was in the wrong place in the wrong time, it was unbearable. Nayib Bukele swept into power in 2019. In his first year in office, the murder rate dropped by half. But in March of 2022, a gang killing spree, 87 people dead in one weekend. Bukele responded with an iron fist. He deployed the military, declared a state of exception, limiting some rights, and empowered police to arrest without a warrant. This police officer, whose identity were protecting, said officers were issued arrest quotas, at one point five arrests a day. Given that we had arrest goals, when we no longer found gang members, we began arresting people who had nothing to do with gangs. And what happens to those people after you arrest them? They are detained, and we charge them with the crime of unlawful association. A lot of innocent people are still in prison, and we have participated in that, because we thought they'd be released soon. And that has not been the case. And the majority of them, upon being detained, basically disappeared into the prison system. Family members don't know if they're alive, don't know where they are, aren't able to contact them. Noah Bullock is the executive director of Cristosal, a human rights group based in El Salvador. They have documented thousands of arbitrary arrests during that state of exception, as well as abuse and death inside prisons. We spoke during his recent visit to Washington. For all those people who are detained, what's the recourse like for their families or loved ones? What can people do? Very little. What is lost in terms of rights and freedoms for Salvadorans in the state of exception is the guarantee to be able to have a fair trial, to be able to defend themselves against these types of charges. And for many families, it becomes a reign of terror. That's what the Catholic bishop in El Salvador called it. In San Martin, an hour outside of San Salvador, Mauricio Vilanova tours us around streets once too dangerous to walk. He's mayor of neighboring San Jose Guayabal. Mauricio Vilanova, Mayor of San Jose Guayabal, El Salvador (through interpreter): Dead people, extortion, territories controlled by the gangs. There was no freedom here, not even for residents. There was a state within a state. What used to be one of the deadliest areas in the country is now safe enough for children to play. Just to give you a sense of how dramatically life has changed here, people tell us this road used to be essentially a dividing line. That community was controlled by the MS-13 gang, this community controlled by the 18th Street gang, and, for some, crossing would mean a death sentence. Vilanova, who some gang leader still want dead, carries a weapon wherever he goes. But Bukele's policies, he says, have been transformative. What about the innocent people who are rounded up and held as part of the state of exception, but are completely innocent? Yes, of those detained here are some people who have been released already. I have faith in God that those who do not fear and will be judged will be free. The government has so far released 7,000 people, but thousands of families say their innocent loved ones are still held. Maribel Amaya last saw her son Jorge Luis a few blocks away from her vegetable stand outside of San Salvador. Her son had no criminal record. She says he was arrested to fill a police quota. Maribel Amaya, Mother (through interpreter): Another mother who was there and whose son was also arrested that day, before she left the police station, she heard police saying, "I need one more." And that one more was my son. No visitors are allowed at the Mariona prison, where he's held. But once a month, Maribel makes the trip to drop off food and clothes he won't get inside. Each package costs almost $100, about a third of her monthly income. After a friend sent her this photo of a much thinner Jorge Luis in a hospital being treated for malnutrition, she says she will spare no expense. I can wait, but my son cannot anymore. I don't understand how they can sleep at night with all these injustices they are creating. I will never stay silent. Why? Because I don't want a funeral home to call me one day and tell me that my son is in a morgue. Of the tens of thousands arrested, the majority have not yet faced trial. A new law allows for mass trials of up to 900 people at a time. Gustavo Villatoro is El Salvador's minister of justice and public security. Gustavo Villatoro, El Salvador Minister of Justice and Public Security (through interpreter): We do guarantee that all these people will face justice, a judge decision on whether they are guilty or innocent. We are now in the transitional process, and we will soon begin the accusations. Critics say President Bukele's grip on power has only tightened. In his first term, Bukele removed the attorney general and replaced top judges on the Supreme Court, who then reinterpreted the Constitution, allowing Bukele to run for a second consecutive term. The government has also targeted critics, including human rights groups and journalists. We have been severely attacked. We have gotten death threats. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights thinks that our lives and our jobs are in danger in El Salvador. But Salvadorans, now free of gang control support, Bukele. Just last week, he won reelection with nearly 83 percent of the vote. Nayib Bukele, President of El Salvador (through interpreter): We literally went from being the most dangerous country in the world to being the most secure in all the Western Hemisphere. The security results are felt by everyone. And I think the challenge is helping people who have been subjected to the terror of gangs for decades process what might have been lost in exchange for that security. What does a second term under Bukele mean for democracy in El Salvador? The end of it. What would you call a system where one person calls all the shots, where there's no separation of power? After a fair report, you would hard — you would find it really hard to call it a democracy. Today, the streets of El Salvador are largely quiet and peaceful, but many worry peace at this cost may not prevail for long. By Megan Janetsky, Marcos Aleman, Associated Press Amna Nawaz serves as co-anchor and co-managing editor of PBS News Hour.  My NewsSign Out Sign InCreate your free profileSections news Alerts Sustainable Design Informed by The Spirit of Oaxaca Casa Silencio is the brainchild of El Silencio co-founders With a clear vision to translate the brand’s “made-by-hand” ethos into a boutique hotel Cisneros and Zapata collaborated closely with Alejandro D’Acosta a Mexican architect famed for his innovative approach to sustainable construction using raw and reclaimed materials Rather than referencing a current architecture trend or predisposed aesthetic D’Acosta and the founders drew inspiration directly from Oaxaca extensive travels through Mexico’s wine country and the distilleries of Scotland to deliver an experiential luxury hotel deeply connected to local history The result is an awe-inspiring homage to the mystical landscape in which the property emerges elevated features and curiosities tucked into unexpected corners Following a principle of "closed door" architecture Casa Silencio was constructed with a mix of ancient and modern techniques using mostly locally sourced materials The walls are made of rammed earth (known as “tapial” in Spanish) with local soil; the ceilings are crafted from recycled wood; and all energy is powered by solar panels Casa Silencio embraces a ‘no-waste’ policy meaning there is no garbage left on-site and every single material is repurposed in a functional form Rainwater harvesting and water reuse systems are implemented to feed the mezcal production plant the magnificence of Casa Silencio is evident from the moment the property comes into view as guests descend from the main road into the valley a series of "welcoming plazas" that feature massive give way to expansive views of the mountainous surroundings and the extensive The exterior grounds host a variety of communal gathering spaces including a plunge pool and bonfire pits Interiors To infuse Casa Silencio’s interiors with the richly artisanal spirit of the region Cisneros and Zapata joined forces with renowned designer Martina D’Acosta Driven by Cisneros’ passion to support emerging local talent and other decorative elements found throughout the property’s public spaces and guest rooms are almost all directly and exclusively created by local artisans and craftspeople from in and around Xaaga Examples include rugs designed and produced in Teotitlán del Valle; curtains pedal-loomed by the Hernandez Quero family in Mitla; stone pieces carved in San Salvador El Seco; and abstract wooden pieces made in Huayapam A library tucked away into one of the many explorable corners of Casa Silencio houses books authored solely by Mexican writers and artists all hand-selected by Cisneros and D’Acosta moody color scheme honor the ‘defiant spirit’ of Oaxaca and bring the outdoors in breathtakingly appointed guest suites are geometrically constructed over two stories and appointed with furniture and decor that offer subtle nods to the mezcal production process with some spanning two floors and featuring inviting spa-like bathrooms feature walk-in showers and monolith stone sinks Inspiring a sense of discovery at every turn one suite includes a mesmerizing bathroom wrapped in a mosaic wall made entirely of recycled El Silencio bottles forming an image of an Alebrije - the brand logo The Distillery  At the heart of Casa Silencio lives a one-of-a-kind sustainable distillery or “Palenque” that looks out to the surrounding mountains and agave-studded valley The working distillery is both the symbolic and operational backbone of the hotel El Silencio’s groundbreaking production process sees the piñas of the agave plant roasted in ovens above ground for four to six days a practice optimized to ease the physical burden on workers Rather than being pulled by a donkey or mule 1,000-pound tahona rotates using a motorized system that leverages solar energy offering a more hygienic and humane solution to traditional methods circular roof welcomes in natural sunlight to fuel this process The agave pulp is then placed into barrel-like “vats'' for the open-air fermentation process Fibers and liquid are then double distilled to produce the beautifully handmade guests are encouraged to participate in the production by chopping and tossing piñas of agave into the ovens alongside generational mezcaleros The distillery leads into the property’s impressive indoor-outdoor communal dining space from which guests can view the production process and where private mezcal tastings are paired with bites commissioned to Rodolfo Castellanos the first winner of Top Chef Mexico and owner of one of Oaxaca’s finest restaurants bites include Cacao Ganache with Cacao Nibs; Orange Gummy with Worm Chile; Pumpkin Seed Paste with Recado Negro all deconstructed by the brand’s vision to create an unparalleled tasting experience In addition to El Silencio’s signature Espadin and Ensamble offerings specialty mezcals only available at Casa Silencio An Ancestral-Inspired Dining Experience Offering a vibrantly authentic Oaxacan culinary experience as well as sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and valley dining at Casa Silencio is a sensorial marvel Led by Executive Chef Daniel Robles Sumano Belgium and Barcelona make him one of the most versatile chefs in Oaxaca the cuisine at Casa Silencio is matched only by where it is served The indoor-outdoor dining area is anchored by a 53-foot-long communal table made of a single 17-ton slab of hand-cut basalt.  The table extends from the center of the dining room to the exterior patio and is shaded by an abstract wooden awning inspired by alebrijes Multi-course meals illuminated by candlelight and an infinite canopy of desert stars create a natural backdrop evocative of the ancestral spirit of the region Experiencing the Magic In & Around Casa Silencio Casa Silencio will boast an extensive calendar of events which will bring together hotel guests as well as visitors and residents of Oaxaca Guests are encouraged to explore the culturally vibrant surrounding areas of Xaaga and greater Oaxaca through guided tours that can be coordinated directly through the hotel distillery tours and tastings are also available to those not staying on site making Casa Silencio a mystical haven to travelers seeking to immerse themselves into the captivating world of mezcal Enabling guests to bring home a piece of Oaxacan magic Casa Silencio’s Gift Shop curates an ever-changing assortment of jewelry many of whom have created commissioned works for the property along with specialty bottles of Mezcal El Silencio and branded accessories An Intentional Emphasis on Community  The Oaxacan community has been profoundly and inherently ingrained in the El Silencio story and the agave plant has served as a tangible expression of the symbiotic relationship between the land and its people for thousands of years many opted to plant agaves in anticipation of the brand’s need for the prodigal plant El Silencio considers their neighbors long-term partners in the vitality of Casa Silencio and provides opportunities to support sustained economic growth by creating local jobs allowing those in the community to work for a fair wage and remain close to their families TO BOOK: Rates at Casa Silencio are based on double occupancy and start at $1,000 a night for a private suite including breakfast perpetual pours of all Silencio spirits and cocktails and access to all amenities on the property grounds Casa Silencio will officially open its doors on September 15 To learn more about Casa Silencio or to make a reservation, please visit https://www.casasilencio.com/