President Nayib Bukele has sharply criticized the opposition ARENA party’s position regarding the elimination of political debt, a measure that is set to be ratified in today’s plenary session of the Legislative Assembly. Bukele responded to a statement released by ARENA, in which the party expressed its opposition to the measure, describing political debt as crucial for maintaining current political institutions, despite accusations of corruption.
In a post on his official social media account, Bukele emphasized that ARENA had spent months complaining about the delay in eliminating political debt, blaming the government for not moving faster on the reform. “Well, the day has come,” he said, referring to the vote to eliminate political debt. “This change could not be immediate because it was embedded in the Constitution and required a process.”
The president also noted that ARENA’s shift in position, now calling political debt necessary for democracy, was part of their ongoing strategy to oppose the government’s reforms aimed at transforming El Salvador for the better. Bukele accused the party of constantly changing its narrative and refusing to support necessary reforms, even after complaining about the lack of progress on the issue.
“They complain and complain about what they never did, and when we come in and make the changes, they start to complain about why we’re doing it,” Bukele said. “In short, we will never be able to please them, but step by step, we continue to change our country.”
The criticism comes as the reform to eliminate political debt takes a significant step forward, marking another moment in El Salvador’s ongoing transformation under President Bukele’s administration.