'Who Elected George Soros to Dictate Public Policy?' — El Salvador President Nayib Bukele Blasts Soros, Declares, 'Thank God … El Salvadorians Are Now Immune To His Influence'

Since Nayib Bukele became president of El Salvador in 2019, he has been no stranger to controversy. 

Bukele is best known for his decision to double down on Bitcoin for several years on behalf of El Salvador, and the country holds 2,762 Bitcoins valued at roughly $143 million at its current price. El Salvador's break-even price is reportedly $42,500 per Bitcoin, which is respectably below the cryptocurrency's current price of $51,808. 

Bukele doubled down on Bitcoin as it was largely beginning to crash, and continued to buy going into crypto's downturn and a bear market. Bitcoin has since continued to approach all-time highs, resulting in a $25 million profit on El Salvador's investment. 

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While Bukele's decision raised skepticism, he has been widely praised for his tough-on-crime policies resulting in El Salvador becoming one of the safest countries in South America. Bukele was recently reelected, winning 83% of the votes. Bukele "all but dismantled the infamous street gangs that terrorized the population for decades," according to the New York Times.

But Bukele isn't just popular among El Salvadorians. The results of his policies have made him popular among some conservatives in the U.S. as well. 

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He was recently invited to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) as a guest speaker. At the event, Bukele blasted controversial investing figure George Soros. He did not hold back on his opinions on Soros's political influence in both the U.S. and El Salvadorian political spectrum. 

At the event, Bukele asked, "Who elected Soros to dictate public policy and laws? Why does he feel entitled to impose his agenda?" Bukele went on to say, "Thank God and all glory be to Him, El Salvadorians are now immune to (Soros's) influence."

Bukele has criticized Soros on several occasions for influence peddling in El Salvador. Soros-founded Open Society Foundations responded to these remarks on at least one occasion in 2020 noting it was "surprised" by Bukele's remarks. Open Society says it has been operating in El Salvador since 2006.  

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