In his official Address to the Nation marking the first year of his second presidential term, President Nayib Bukele delivered a strong statement denouncing what he described as coordinated efforts by global elites to manipulate public perception and hinder El Salvador’s sovereign path.
Bukele pointed to the fear among powerful international actors that more nations may follow El Salvador’s example and break away from external control.
“They are afraid of the domino effect,” Bukele declared. “Of more countries around the world deciding to break away from their control, from their plans.”
He openly criticized the role of some international journalists and NGOs, describing them as political instruments rather than neutral actors.
“Journalists are just one more tool they have… their job is to make the good look bad and the bad look good,” he stated. “That’s what they sell; that’s their business.”
The president argued that while all individuals and institutions have agendas, the crucial difference lies in transparency.
“I have an agenda, they have an agenda, politicians have an agenda, NGOs have an agenda. The difference is that we don’t hide ours,” Bukele said. “The people have the right to vote for that agenda—whether they want it or not.”
Referencing NGOs that operate under globalist ideologies—specifically mentioning organizations backed by “Open Society” networks—Bukele accused them of profiting from narratives of instability and human suffering.
“They receive millions each year to sell misery and spread violence,” he noted. “Some NGOs sell themselves as defenders of human rights, but in reality, they are dedicated to political activism.”
Despite these criticisms, Bukele emphasized that El Salvador does not prohibit their presence or activities.
“They are free to publish their pamphlets, they are free to tell their lies,” he said. “But they should at least call it by its name. They are not journalists. They are political activists doing business. They are not NGOs. They are political activists doing business.”
Bukele also addressed repeated accusations of secret pacts with criminal gangs—an allegation frequently cited by international media and critics. He highlighted the arrest of over 80,000 gang members under his government’s security strategy and recalled a moment when, in response to these accusations, the prisons were opened to public and journalistic inspection.
“The same day the report came out, we opened the prison doors. They could see that the gangs were not separated. They were mixed together, with a set meal time and without access even to sunlight,” Bukele affirmed.
“Do you think they cared? No. They kept repeating the same lie.”
The speech reasserted the administration’s core message of sovereignty, security, and open confrontation with what Bukele described as international disinformation campaigns. His remarks reflect a growing political stance across parts of the Global South, where governments seek to challenge long-standing narratives shaped by foreign-funded institutions.