President Nayib Bukele, freshly elected for another term by the Salvadoran people, took a strong stance against international media outlets that he claims distort the reality of El Salvador in their journalistic reports.

Addressing both national and international media after casting his vote on Olympic Avenue in San Salvador, the president expressed his dissatisfaction with the coverage from outlets such as El País, BBC, and Univisión, accusing them of maintaining a consistent negative narrative throughout his first term in office.

Despite the harmony and democracy experienced by Salvadorans, President Bukele asserted that these media organizations persist in portraying a different image of the country, often suggesting the existence of a «dictatorship» and the alleged «dismantling of democracy.»

During the press conference, President Bukele raised questions about the intentions behind Univisión’s overwhelmingly negative reporting, especially considering its substantial Latino audience in the United States, which includes Salvadorans who, according to him, support the government’s initiatives. He queried, «For whom do they work if their audience supports us, and all the reports are negative? They are risking losing the last 5% of their audience, and Soros’s check will run out.»

The reference to George Soros, an American billionaire accused of destabilizing governments worldwide, served as a backdrop to Bukele’s claim that Soros funds national and international media outlets, as well as non-governmental organizations critical of the president’s policies.

President Bukele defended the media’s freedom in El Salvador, emphasizing that journalists can operate without fear for their safety or equipment. He cited the example of international media’s coverage of the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), constructed to detain criminals apprehended through the Territorial Control Plan (PCT) and the state of exception.

Despite accusations that the center is under Bukele’s control, he pointed out that these media outlets are the only ones granted access to it, unlike in other countries where journalists are restricted from entering prisons. Bukele highlighted the absence of imprisoned or deceased journalists in El Salvador, emphasizing the liberty journalists enjoy to move freely and report without interference.

In a recent rebuke against national media, President Bukele criticized outlets that, in the days leading up to the presidential and legislative elections, published tendentious information to undermine the Central Government. He urged the media to maintain dignity and advance, expressing a need for balanced and truthful reporting.

As President Bukele begins his new term, the clash between his administration and certain media outlets continues, with the president determined to challenge what he sees as a distorted portrayal of El Salvador’s reality.