Bukele "I don't care if they call me a dictator"
In his annual address, Bukele attacks international press and human rights groups. Claims human rights is a concept being used "to force us into submission."
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Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on Sunday night gave his annual address to the nation surrounded by soldiers. The speech, which occurred amidst rising international criticism of crackdowns on protesters and the press in the country, emphasized the country’s security gains in recent years.
“What we have achieved is a historic transformation,” said Bukele, “But there is still work to do.” After elaborating on El Salvador’s historic drop in crime, the president quickly moved on to attacking the international press, human rights groups, and foreign countries for “lying” about the authoritarian trends of his country.
"Some say that before there was democracy in El Salvador, and now there isn't. You have read that, right?” he said. “Whoever says that it’s because crime was their source of income is some way. Those who made money from crime," he added.
He attacked the annual Democracy Index, published by The Economist, which ranked El Salvador 95th out of 167th in the world, with a rating of 4.61 out of 10, classifying the country as a “hybrid regime.”
“Human rights. These are great ideals, they are beautiful really, but they don’t reflect reality.” He claimed that the international community uses the terms to “force submission” on countries like El Salvador. He compared the criticisms to government claims about Iraq and Libya before western invasions there, saying the terms are used “to destroy” nations.
The president assured his supporters that recent criticism of his punitive measures and the persecution of activists are part of a “globalist agenda that is afraid of a domino effect”. "They say that we imprison human rights defenders, dissidents, and opponents of the regime. This makes me think, how can we fight corruption if all the opposition has immunity? Now some of them play the card of political persecution. Being a journalist in the club allows them to break the law without consequences," he said.
“They want destruction. They want chaos. They want to leave us helpless.”
Recent polls show that despite the recent criticisms, Bukele maintains an 80% approval rating.
Bukele claimed in his address that negative press coverage is a “coordinated attack” by the international community, and that there are “external forces” sponsoring it. “They are not journalists, they are political activists who are making money,” he said.
"They are not there to defend causes, they are there to get impunity from corruption and crime for their members. They want to impose their narrative, which every political party in the world does," he added.
He attacked Venezuela, though without mentioning the country by name. “Other countries arrest people for their social media posts or ban opposition parties. In El Salvador, no. We allow these criticisms. They nullify elections, but they say we are not democratic,” he said.
The Economist ranked Venezuela 142nd out of 167 countries in the world, with a Democracy Index score of 2.25, considerably lower than El Salvador, and a score which qualifies the country as an “authoritarian regime.”
“I prefer that they call me a dictator if it means I don’t see Salvadorans being killed in the street,” he exclaimed. He claimed that foreign journalists seek “prestigious awards” and “grants” that mean “blood for the Salvadoran people.”
Bukele's second consecutive term in office, which is prohibited by the Salvadoran constitution, has been marked by warnings of authoritarian escalation, the arrest of human rights activists, and the imprisonment of hundreds of Venezuelans expelled from the United States. The majority have not been charged with any crimes in either El Salvador or the U.S.
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