Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Nayib Bukele

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Nayib Bukele.

Nayib Bukele is the current president of El Salvador, serving since June 1, 2019. Prior to his presidency, Bukele was a businessman and politician. He is known for his unconventional governing style and use of social media. Some of his key policies include a crackdown on gang violence and the adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender. Bukele's administration has faced both praise for reducing crime rates and criticism for its authoritarian tendencies and potential human rights violations.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

June 2015: Mirror Sites of Newspapers Created

In June 2015, the Búnker digital-programming company created mirror sites of the newspapers El Diario de Hoy and La Prensa Gráfica, posting false information in an attempt to damage their reputations.

January 2016: El Diario de Hoy and La Prensa Gráfica Reported Cyberattack

In January 2016, El Diario de Hoy and La Prensa Gráfica reported that the Búnker digital-programming company had created mirror sites of the newspapers and posted false information. Bukele denied involvement.

July 2017: Bukele Sued La Prensa Gráfica for Defamation

On 4 July 2017, Nayib Bukele sued La Prensa Gráfica for $6 million, alleging defamation in its reporting of cyberattacks linking him to the Troll Center case. Later that month, a court dismissed Bukele's lawsuit and three other courts rejected his appeals.

September 2017: Accusation of Assault and Insults

In September 2017, FMLN member Xóchitl Marchelli accused Bukele of throwing an apple at her and calling her a "damn traitor" and a "witch".

October 2017: Expulsion from FMLN

In October 2017, Nayib Bukele was expelled from the FMLN after an ethics tribunal found him guilty of "defamatory acts", "disrespect" for women's rights, and "disqualifying comments" against party members.

December 2017: Charges Dropped in Troll Center Case

In December 2017, the charges against five people in relation to the "Troll Center" case, which involved the creation of mirror sites of newspapers, were dropped.

October 2018: Withdrawal of Lawsuit

In October 2018, Xóchitl Marchelli sent a letter to the court, stating she would no longer pursue her lawsuit against Bukele for health reasons.

December 2018: Presidential Debate Absence

In December 2018, Bukele did not attend the presidential debate, claiming that the debate rules were not explained to him.

December 2018: FGR Reviewed Information Linking Bukele to Cyberattacks

In December 2018, the FGR (office of the attorney general) stated that it had reviewed information supposedly linking Nayib Bukele's cell phone to the cyberattacks in the "Troll Center" case.

January 2019: Presidential Debate Absence

In January 2019, Bukele did not attend the presidential debate, claiming that the debate rules were not explained to him.

March 2019: Acquittal in Assault Case

On March 29, 2019, Nayib Bukele was acquitted by the Specialized Sentencing Court in the case brought against him after being accused of assault.

2019: Accusations of Releasing Gang Leaders

Between 2019 and 2021, the United States Department of Justice accused Bukele's government of releasing gang leaders as part of negotiations, a claim Bukele denied.

February 2020: Ordered Soldiers into Legislative Assembly

In February 2020, Nayib Bukele ordered 40 soldiers into the Legislative Assembly building to intimidate lawmakers into approving a US$109 million loan for the Territorial Control Plan.

February 2020: Bukele calls for emergency meeting to approve loan

On 6 February 2020, Bukele invoked Article 167 of the country's constitution and called for an emergency meeting of the Legislative Assembly to approve the $109 million loan. He called for his supporters to rally around the Legislative Assembly during the emergency meeting that was scheduled for 9 February. The loan was not approved.

March 2020: Nationwide lockdown imposed

On 21 March 2020, Bukele imposed a 30-day nationwide lockdown to combat the pandemic. 4,236 people were arrested for violating the lockdown order.

April 2020: Criticism of prison conditions

Amid April 2020 lockdowns in the country's prisons and published images of prisoners lined up in cramped positions, Human Rights Watch called the prisons' living conditions "inhumane" (particularly in light of the pandemic).

July 2020: ICG Report on Homicide Decrease

In July 2020, the International Crisis Group (ICG) suggested that the decrease in homicides during Bukele's first year in office could be due to informal agreements between the government and gangs, allegations the government denied.

August 2020: Report of Spying on Media Outlets

According to a September 2024 Infobae report, leaked audio recordings made by Alejandro Muyshondt in August 2020 supposedly recorded him and Ernesto Castro, then Bukele's personal secretary, agreeing to spy on El Diario de Hoy, El Faro, La Prensa Gráfica, and Revista Factum.

September 2020: El Faro Accusations of Negotiations with MS-13

In September 2020, El Faro accused Bukele's government of conducting secret negotiations with MS-13, allegedly granting them more freedom in prison in exchange for a reduction in homicides and support for Nuevas Ideas during the 2021 legislative elections.

November 2020: Investigation of governmental institutions for corruption

In November 2020, twenty of Bukele's governmental institutions were investigated by the office of the attorney general for corruption related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: Investigation of El Faro for Money Laundering

In 2020, Bukele launched an investigation of El Faro for money laundering after the newspaper alleged that his government had negotiated with gangs. Though the attorney general's office did not begin a money laundering investigation, El Faro was subject to tax audits.

February 2021: Release of Gang Leader Élmer "El Crook" Canales Rivera

In February 2021, the United States Department of Justice accused Bukele's government of releasing gang leaders as part of negotiations, including Élmer "El Crook" Canales Rivera, who was released despite an Interpol arrest warrant.

March 2021: Suspension of Tax Audits on El Faro

In March 2021, tax audits on El Faro were suspended after a Supreme Court order raised concerns about risks to freedom of expression.

April 2021: Argument with Norma Torres on Twitter

Bukele and Norma Torres, a member of the U.S. Congress, engaged in an April 2021 argument on Twitter about illegal immigration at the United States' southern border.

May 2021: Diversion of El Salvador funding by United States

In May 2021, the United States diverted El Salvador funding from government institutions to civil society groups to combat perceived corruption in Bukele's government.

May 2021: Legislative replacement of Supreme Court justices

In May 2021, the legislative replacement of the Supreme Court justices happened, which directly resulted in the September 2021 ruling that the president can serve two consecutive terms, as stated by Jean Elizabeth Manes, chargé d'affaires of the United States to El Salvador.

May 2021: Coalition government formed and Supreme Court justices removed

On 1 May 2021, Nuevas Ideas formed a coalition government and voted to remove the five justices of the Supreme Court of Justice's constitutional court and Attorney General Raúl Melara, replacing them with Bukele's allies.

June 2021: Dissolution of CICIES

Bukele dissolved CICIES in June 2021 after the OAS named Ernesto Muyshondt an anti-corruption advisor.

September 2021: Supreme Court rules president can serve two consecutive terms

In September 2021, the Supreme Court of Justice ruled that the president can serve two consecutive terms, overturning a 2014 ruling. This decision, allowing Bukele to run for re-election in 2024, was met with criticism from constitutional lawyers, opposition parties, and the United States government.

September 2021: Bitcoin becomes legal tender

On 7 September 2021, Bitcoin became legal tender in El Salvador, the first country to do so, alongside the United States dollar.

November 2021: Introduction of "Foreign Agents Law"

In November 2021, Bukele introduced the "Foreign Agents Law" to the Legislative Assembly, aimed at prohibiting foreign interference in Salvadoran political affairs. Critics compared it to Nicaraguan laws that exercise press censorship.

December 2021: Blocking of Twitter accounts

Human Rights Watch reported on 16 December 2021 that 91 Twitter accounts belonging to journalists, lawyers, and activists were blocked by Bukele and governmental institutions.

December 2021: U.S. Treasury Accusations of Gang Negotiations

On December 8, 2021, the United States Department of the Treasury accused Bukele's government of secretly negotiating with MS-13 and Barrio 18 to lower the country's homicide rate, providing financial incentives for reduced homicides and support for Nuevas Ideas in elections.

2021: Allies Won Supermajority and Replaced Key Officials

After Nuevas Ideas won a supermajority in the 2021 legislative election, Nayib Bukele's allies in the legislature voted to replace the attorney general and all five justices of the Supreme Court of Justice's Constitutional Chamber.

2021: Bitcoin Became Legal Tender

In 2021, Nayib Bukele passed a law that made bitcoin legal tender in El Salvador and has promoted plans to build Bitcoin City.

2021: Legislative Elections

The Salvadoran digital newspaper El Faro accused Bukele's government of conducting secret negotiations with MS-13 in exchange for support for Nuevas Ideas during the 2021 legislative elections.

March 2022: Gang Violence and Homicides

From March 25 to 27, 2022, gangs in El Salvador committed 87 homicides; 62 were committed on March 26 alone, marking the deadliest day in Salvadoran history since the end of the Salvadoran Civil War. José Miguel Cruz attributed the killings to a breakdown in a secret truce between the government and the gangs.

April 2022: Threat to deprive prisoners of food

In April 2022, Bukele threatened to deprive incarcerated gang members of food entirely if the gangs attempted to retaliate against the crackdown, citing rumors about revenge killings.

April 2022: Law Allowing Imprisonment of Journalists

In April 2022, the Legislative Assembly passed a law allowing courts to sentence journalists to 10 to 15 years' imprisonment for reproducing or transmitting messages from gangs, a move described by APES as a clear attempt at media censorship.

June 2022: Bukele's response to police officers' death

After members of Barrio 18 killed three police officers in Santa Ana in June 2022, Bukele said at a press conference that the gangs were "going to pay dearly" for the "ambush" against the police.

September 2022: Bukele announces he will run for re-election in 2024

On September 15, 2022, during a speech commemorating El Salvador's 201st anniversary of independence, Bukele announced his intention to run for re-election in 2024. This announcement was immediately criticized by constitutional lawyers, who argued that it violated the constitution.

November 2022: Journalists Flee El Salvador

By November 2022, the El Salvador Journalists Association (APES) estimated that at least a dozen journalists had fled El Salvador since Bukele took office, citing fears for their safety due to threats, harassment, doxxing, intimidation, surveillance, and criminal prosecution.

November 2022: Accusation of interfering in congressional election

In November 2022, Torres accused Bukele of interfering in that month's 35th congressional district election by endorsing Republican challenger Mike Cargile.

November 2022: Destruction of gang members' gravestones

In November 2022, the government began destroying gravestones belonging to deceased gang members to prevent them from becoming "shrines," and Bukele compared the gravestone destructions to denazification in post-World War II Germany. He also warned parents to keep their children away from gangs.

December 2022: Bukele proposes reducing municipalities

In December 2022, Bukele proposed reducing the number of municipalities in El Salvador from 262 to 50, arguing that the current number was "absurd" given the country's size. This proposal was met with both criticism and support, with some viewing it as a power grab and others as a necessary reform.

2022: Amnesty International Alleges Government Hacking

In 2022, Amnesty International stated that the Salvadoran government had tapped the phones of at least 22 Salvadoran journalists, most of whom worked for El Faro, using the Israeli Pegasus spyware.

April 2023: El Faro Moves Headquarters to Costa Rica

In April 2023, El Faro moved its headquarters to San José, Costa Rica, citing attempts to avoid fabricated accusations from Bukele's government.

November 2023: Legislative Assembly grants Bukele leave of absence

In November 2023, the Legislative Assembly granted Bukele and Ulloa leaves of absence to focus on their re-election campaign. The leave went into effect the following day, suspending Bukele's presidential powers. Claudia Rodríguez de Guevara was named presidential designate, becoming the first woman in Salvadoran history to hold presidential power, although her appointment was criticized.

January 2024: Letter from Democratic members of Congress

In January 2024, fourteen Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to Biden about Bukele's "authoritarian" actions.

February 2024: Bukele speaks at CPAC and accuses Soros of attempting to "dictate public politics and laws" in El Salvador

In February 2024, Bukele spoke at the American Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and accused George Soros of attempting to "dictate public politics and laws" in El Salvador. Bukele also expressed opposition to globalism, saying that "it's already dead" in El Salvador.

March 2024: Bukele states his government will remove "all traces" of "gender ideologies in schools and colleges"

In March 2024, Bukele stated that his government would remove "all traces" of "gender ideologies in schools and colleges".

April 2024: Scheduled trial of Ernesto Muyshondt

Ernesto Muyshondt was arrested and was scheduled to go on trial in April 2024, despite concerns about his health.

June 2024: Bukele fires 300 bureaucrats for promoting incompatible policies

In June 2024, Bukele fired 300 bureaucrats from the ministry of culture for promoting policies that were "incompatible" with his emphasis on "patriotic and family values".

July 2024: Trump's Accusation of "Exporting" Criminals

In July 2024, former United States president Donald Trump falsely accused Bukele's government of "exporting" criminals to the United States to lower El Salvador's crime rate.

September 2024: Report of Spying on Media Outlets

October 2024: Denial of corruption accusations

In October 2024, when investigative journalists published a report that found that Bukele, his family had purchased 34 properties during Bukele's first presidential term, Bukele referred to the journalists as "imbeciles" and denied accusations of corruption.

March 2025: Prolonged state of exception and custody deaths

By 4 March 2025, the state of exception had been extended 36 times by the Legislative Assembly. By that same date, over 85,000 suspected gang members had been arrested, 3,319 of whom were minors, and at least 367 people had died in custody.

2025: Claim of Global Money Laundering Operation

In 2025, Bukele claimed that most independent journalists and media outlets were part of a supposed global money laundering operation, referring to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).