In a press conference today, President Nayib Bukele announced new economic relief measures and addressed concerns about mining and pollution in El Salvador.

Referring to recent media reports, the president clarified that there is no mining taking place in the country. “There is still no mining in the country, so those photos that the newspapers are showing are not pollution from mining; it is from something else,” Bukele stated. He further explained that the contamination in the country’s rivers is not caused by metal mining but by fecal matter, emphasizing that the pollution is due to poor waste management and not mining activities.

“The rivers are contaminated by feces,” Bukele added, urging the public to focus on addressing the real sources of pollution.

Regarding the potential future of mining, the president affirmed that mining practices can be done responsibly. “Things can be done well or they can be done badly. Mining can be done well or it can be done badly. There are examples in the world of how it is done well, and we are going to do it well,” he assured.

President Bukele also reiterated that mining has never been carried out in El Salvador, refuting claims made by the media and political opposition that suggest otherwise. “There has never been mining contamination in El Salvador because mining has never been done here,” he stated, dispelling misinformation surrounding the issue.

This press conference served to clarify both the government’s economic relief efforts and its position on mining and environmental issues in the country.