Thousands in El Salvador join protests against Bukele government

Local media estimated at least 4,000 people marched through capital San Salvador

October 18, 2021 09:49 am | Updated 09:49 am IST - SAN SALVADOR:

A demonstrator holds a sign reading "Bukele dictator, out of El Salvador" as she takes part in a protest against actions by the government of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, as the use of bitcoin and legal reforms to extend his term, in San Salvador, El Salvador October 17, 2021. REUTERS/Jose Cabezas

A demonstrator holds a sign reading "Bukele dictator, out of El Salvador" as she takes part in a protest against actions by the government of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, as the use of bitcoin and legal reforms to extend his term, in San Salvador, El Salvador October 17, 2021. REUTERS/Jose Cabezas

Thousands of people in El Salvador took to the streets on October 17 in protest against President Nayib Bukele who has stoked concern that he is steadily concentrating power and who responded with changing his Twitter profile late in the day to "Emperor of El Salvador".

Local media estimated at least 4,000 people marched through capital San Salvador. They bore banners and signs decrying Mr. Bukele's ouster of Supreme Court judges, the potential for the president to seek a second consecutive term and the adoption of bitcoin as legal tender .

Bukele's apparent joke with his Twitter profile follows an update last month when he changed it to say "Dictator" of El Salvador.

October 17th’s protesters chanted slogans including "What does El Salvador want? Get rid of the dictator!" Near the capital's main square, some set fire to an effigy bearing the likeness of the 40-year-old president.

It was at least the second large protest in just over a month, following marches in September that denounced bitcoin being made legal tender alongside the U.S. dollar .

In May, a Congress dominated for the first time by Bukele's New Ideas party voted to fire the judges on the constitutional panel of the Supreme Court, among the most senior jurists in the country, as well as the then-attorney general. Replacements seen as friendly to Mr. Bukele were swiftly voted in to replace them, which generated harsh criticism from the United States as well as top international rights groups.

Mr. Bukele's administration then came under fire from the United States after the Supreme Court judges ruled that the president could seek a second consecutive term, which Washington saw as unconstitutional.

"We are totally losing rights because today they do not respect the laws. Here, what's done is the will of Nayib," said Rosa Granados, a labor union member who participated in the protests.

"If he raises his hand, all the deputies approve it and there is no law and no legal process that is respected," she added.

Mr. Bukele, a seasoned and often provocative user of social media, dismissed the protests as a "failure" on Twitter.

"The march is a failure and they know it..... Nobody believes them here anymore," he wrote.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.