El Salvador's Pro-Bitcoin President's Party Clinches Legislative Majority Amid Allegations of Fraud
Summary:
El Salvador's President, Nayib Bukele's ruling party, New Ideas, has won the majority of seats in the country's legislature, securing 54 out of 60 seats. This win came amidst allegations of voter fraud and manipulation by opposition parties. Bukele has been a notably pro-Bitcoin figure, advocating for its use as a legal tender during his rule. His tenure, however, has also been marred by human rights violation allegations related to his crackdown on criminal activities. Bukele, who resigned in late 2023 to focus on campaigning, is due to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington DC soon.
The dominant political party of Nayib Bukele, an advocate of Bitcoin (BTC) and the sitting President of El Salvador, - New Ideas, has claimed a robust majority in the nation's legislative body. As the overseeing authority of Salvadoran elections confirmed on Feb 20, New Ideas amassed 54 out of the total 60 seats in the legislative assembly, ensuring Bukele has the political bandwidth to drive his agenda forward. The election outcome is a result of the polls conducted on Feb 4. Celebrating an early victory on Feb 5, Bukele speculated that his party had clinched 58, not 54 seats, before the formal results were announced.
However, rival factions have contested the election outcome, suspecting electoral fraud. According to Vamos, Nuestro Tiempo, and the Nationalist Republican Alliance, the election process was marred by 69 "irregularities." Echoing similar claims, the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front Party alleged voter manipulation and fraud.
Assuming presidential office in June 2019, Bukele is one of the few world leaders who openly endorse cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. In September 2021, he proposed the adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender by the Salvadoran government, where the New Ideas party also enjoyed a formidable majority.
Marking Bukele's tenure as the nation's head, several instances of human rights breaches were reported, primarily related to his stringent measures against gang-related violence and homicides. The United Nations Report released in March 2023 confirmed El Salvador had carried out "mass detentions" since 2022, culminating in multiple in-custody deaths and other forms of ill-treatment.
Meanwhile, during Bukele's presidency, the Salvadoran Supreme Court revised the regulations, permitting presidents to serve consecutive terms, negating the previous ten-year waiting period before reelections. Bukele stepped down from his presidential role in December 2023 to channelize his efforts into campaigning, delegating Claudia Rodríguez de Guevara to take over as the incumbent president till June 2024.
On Feb. 22, Bukele is scheduled to address the audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington DC. The event will host several far-right members of the United States' Republican Party, Argentinian President Javier Milei, former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and ex-U.S. President Donald Trump.
Published At
2/23/2024 12:43:47 AM
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