By Nermeen Nabil Khear 
43-year-old Nayib Bukele has turned El Salvador into a country unlike any other, blending authoritarianism with digital innovation. The small Central American country has gone from being one of the world’s most violent to going 24 straight murder-free days in December.
The cherry on top? Bitcoin, Nayib’s signature move since 2021, breaking past $100,000 and the IMF agreeing to lend $1.4 billion, paving the way for another $2.2 billion in international funding.
Nayib is more than a politician. Once an advertising executive, he’s now a global figure. His ability to market El Salvador as a “crypto haven” and a destination for surfers has made waves internationally. With nearly 7 million followers on X, Nayib calls himself a “Philosopher King.”
Conservative voices, including Tucker Carlson, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump, see him as a model leader. Elon even suggested America could take notes on how to fight crime.
Bitcoin and the international spotlight
By adopting Bitcoin as legal tender, Nayib took a gamble that’s paying off—at least for now. Tourists flock to Surf City, a stretch of beaches branded under his vision, and Google even opened offices in San Salvador in 2024.
The president’s flashy social media videos show new highways, skyscrapers, and Bitcoin updates, all tailored to impress international audiences.
Nayib has mastered the art of optics. The National Library in San Salvador, a gift from China, towers as a symbol of his vision. It boasts seven floors, accommodates people with disabilities, and includes books in Spanish, English, and Nahuatl.
Around the capital, once-dangerous areas have been transformed. “I used to get held up at gunpoint all the time,” said José Antonio Gómez, a delivery driver. “Now, I see families walking around with baby strollers.”
Economic growth, though, has been modest. The IMF expects 3% this year, lower than regional peers. But Nayib’s rebranding of El Salvador is undeniable.
A development banker described the pre-Nayib era like this: “A quarter of GDP came from remittances. The average payment was $400 a month, and after six years, migrants stopped sending money.”
The crackdown: Crime down, prisons full
Nayib’s crime-fighting strategy has earned both applause and condemnation. Since March 2022, over 83,000 people have been jailed under a state of emergency. That’s 3 out of every 100 adult men in El Salvador, many awaiting trial.
Critics call it a violation of basic rights, but Nayib doesn’t flinch. “Some say we’ve imprisoned thousands, but in reality, we’ve liberated millions,” he told the UN.
CECOT, the maximum-security prison near Tecoluca, is the centerpiece of this crackdown. Dubbed the largest jail in the Americas, it holds around 18,000 inmates. Conditions are harsh: metal bunks with no mattresses, 24-hour lights, and just one hour of exercise daily.
Cristosal, a local human rights group, reviewed 1,200 arrests and found most were held on vague charges of “conspiracy.” Still, Nayib’s approval ratings soar above 90%. Even some prisoners reportedly voted for him. His supporters argue that safety justifies the means. But what rights do you have if you’re dead?
Meanwhile, Alejandro Muyshondt, a former national security adviser, accused officials of corruption. Hours later, he was arrested. Six months later, he was dead. His body, handed to his family, bore signs of what looked more like torture than emergency surgery.
His death, and others like it, fit into a broader pattern of alleged human rights abuses. Surveillance scandals involving Pegasus spyware and lawsuits against NSO, its Israeli maker, further cloud Nayib’s image.
Even so, the IMF struck a $1.4 billion deal with El Salvador in December. This has drawn criticism. Juan Pappier of Human Rights Watch said Nayib’s disregard for the rule of law makes him “an unreliable bedfellow.” But the IMF insists it had to help since the program addressed balance-of-payments issues.
Nayib’s critics fear his consolidation of power. His party controls Congress, and he’s extended a state of emergency 34 times. Civil rights like freedom of association and legal defense have been suspended. There’s no political opposition. Nayib holds all the levers of power.
As he starts his second five-year term, questions loom about the future. Will he step down in 2029, or will he follow the playbook of long-ruling Latin American leaders? His gilded displays—like portraits of him and his wife flanking presidential seals at the airport—evoke memories of past dictators.
Nayib’s ambitions appear boundless. His aides describe him as pragmatic, willing to privatize or hand out aid depending on the situation. “His model is Singapore or South Korea,” one aide said. But his path to that vision comes with mounting costs.
For now, the world watches as the “crypto king” forges ahead.
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
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