Renowned Salvadoran actor Gerardo Celasco, one of the stars of the new Netflix series The Waterfront, has denounced local media outlet La Prensa Gráfica for censoring part of his interview in which he praised President Nayib Bukele. The actor expressed disappointment after discovering that comments highlighting the president’s support and his pride in representing El Salvador on a global stage were deliberately omitted from the published piece.
Celasco took to X to share his version of events, stating that the interview was arranged through social media and that he agreed enthusiastically, hoping to inspire fellow Salvadorans through his success. However, upon publication, he realized that his statements regarding the president were excluded.
«Apparently, in that medium, an artist is not allowed to speak positively about President @nayibbukele. Since they didn’t want to include it, I’ll leave it here,» he wrote.
In the omitted section, Celasco had said:
“Even our President has seen my triumphs and posted on his social media. His reach is enormous, and I am very grateful for his support. I hope to meet him one day because he has been a great example for the country and the world.”
He also highlighted how meaningful it is to receive messages from Salvadorans around the globe, emphasizing his role as a representative of El Salvador and a source of motivation for others pursuing creative careers.
Shortly after Celasco’s public post, President Nayib Bukele responded, pointing to the incident as an example of double standards in the local press:
“An excellent Salvadoran artist is one of the stars of a new Netflix series, but he’s being censored by the local press for speaking well of their president. These are the same media outlets that say we live in a dictatorship.”
Following the backlash, La Prensa Gráfica updated the article, including the previously censored remarks. Celasco acknowledged the correction but stated:
“It’s clear to me that what happened wasn’t carelessness, it was an editorial decision. But it was rectified, and I appreciate them shedding light on my full interview, my work, our El Salvador, and this achievement.”
The incident has reignited public discourse on media manipulation and editorial bias in El Salvador, raising questions about the limits of freedom of expression in opposition-aligned outlets—especially when it concerns voices that speak positively about national leadership.