El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele continues to enjoy significant popularity among the nation’s citizens, with recent survey results reflecting a staggering approval rating of 91.9%. According to a poll conducted by the daily newspaper La Prensa Gráfica, which sampled 1,200 Salvadorans, 62.8% indicated they genuinely approve of Bukele’s leadership, while a mere 1.8% expressed strong disapproval—prompting a sarcastic response from the president on social media regarding the low figure of disapproval.
However, this overwhelming support does not extend to Bukele’s controversial Bitcoin initiative. The survey revealed that 2.2% of participants identified Bitcoin as the biggest failure of his presidency, indicating a notable lack of enthusiasm for the cryptocurrency experiment. Interestingly, Bitcoin was not a focal point of discussion in other areas of the poll, leading to questions about its impact on Bukele’s overall approval ratings.
Since taking office in 2019, Bukele’s administration has focused on reducing crime and corruption in a nation historically plagued by high violence rates. His hardline strategy, including the establishment of the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), has led to a significant decrease in homicide rates, which is a primary contributor to his sustained popularity.
Despite the lukewarm reception of his Bitcoin policies, the government insists that it remains committed to its cryptocurrency strategy, claiming to continue purchasing one Bitcoin daily since the initiative was launched in 2022. Bukele has publicly stated that these purchases will persist, unbothered by the International Monetary Fund’s criticisms and requests for the country to scale back its Bitcoin experiment.
The Salvadoran Bitcoin Office provides transparency on the nation’s cryptocurrency holdings, showcasing El Salvador’s ongoing efforts to bolster its digital asset reserves. As long as Bukele maintains such high approval ratings, it appears he will pursue his ambitions in the cryptocurrency space without hesitation.
