SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (LifeSiteNews) – El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has shot back at the Biden administration amidst allegations of collaborating with powerful Salvadoran street gangs.
Bukele has an international reputation with advocates of crypto-currency, pro-lifers, and supporters of traditional marriage. He has ruled out legalizing same-sex “marriage” and abortion in his country, much to the chagrin of activists who want the Central American nation to take a more secularist turn.
In September Bitcoin was made legal tender in the country, which threatened the long-standing dominance of the American dollar. Bukele has also been a vocal critic of American interventionism in Latin America. Two days ago, he tweeted a video criticizing U.S. interventionism with the caption: “It is clear that the interests of the United States Government have NOTHING TO DO with democracy, in ANY COUNTRY.”
Esta claro que los intereses del Gobierno de los Estados Unidos no tienen NADA QUE VER con la democracia, en NINGÚN PAÍS.
Da risa que haya personas que piensen que es así. pic.twitter.com/s20taS3mVI
— Nayib Bukele 🇸🇻 (@nayibbukele) December 9, 2021
The U.S. Department of the Treasury claims that the growing use of crypto assets challenges the efficacy of American sanctions and influence over smaller nations like El Salvador, Bitcoin.com reported.
“We are mindful of the risk that, if left unchecked, these digital assets and payments systems could harm the efficacy of our sanctions,” the Treasury Department explained.
Under Bukele’s leadership, the homicide rate in El Salvador has plummeted. The U.S. government alleged Bukele’s government negotiated peace amongst rival gangs with financial benefits, prostitutes, and cellphones for their imprisoned leaders.
In response to the allegations made by the U.S. government, Bukele took to Twitter – where he has millions of followers – to respond, saying: “Cell phones and prostitutes in prisons? Money to gangs? When [did] I pass that? Didn’t you check the date? How can they put such an obvious lie without anyone questioning it? There are videos yes, but of his friends doing that. Not us. They don’t even hide anymore.”
¿Celulares y prostitutas en las cárceles?
¿Dinero a las pandillas?
¿Cuándo pasó eso?
¿No revisaron ni la fecha?
¿Cómo pueden poner una mentira tan obvia sin que nadie se las cuestione?
Hay videos sí, pero de sus amigos haciendo eso. No nosotros.
Ya ni disimulan.
— Nayib Bukele 🇸🇻 (@nayibbukele) December 8, 2021
Among other things, Bukele accused former U.S. ambassador Jean Manes of trying to meddle in criminal affairs in El Salvador. This led Ambassador Brian A. Nichols, Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State to tweet: “We condemn @nayibbukele’s false accusations against @POTUS and other U.S. government officials, including Ambassador Manes and current Charge d’Affaires Brendan O’Brien.”
Right away, Bukele produced screenshots of text messages between himself and Manes, when she operated in El Salvador.
False accusations?
Is it false that Jean Manes asked me to release Neto Muyshondt (captured in video giving tens of thousands of US dollars to gang members)?
Do you want me to continue? https://t.co/KIy3Ix1zVH pic.twitter.com/BUB76MO68o
— Nayib Bukele 🇸🇻 (@nayibbukele) December 9, 2021
The messages show Ambassador Manes trying to urge Bukele to release former San Salvador mayor Ernesto Muyshondt into house arrest throughout an investigation into suspicions of electoral fraud and illegal negotiations with gangs.
Bukele explained called the magistrate in the region “corrupt” and worried that the former mayor would flee if put on house-arrest, without sufficient measures in place to ensure otherwise.
The Twitter dust-up took place during President Joe Biden’s democracy summit, to which El Salvador was not invited to send representation.
The U.S. State Department applied sanctions against Osiris Luna and Carlos Marroquin, two El Salvador officials. Bukele called the accusations “absurd.”