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Salvadorans Protest New Cryptocurrency, Power Grab by President Bukele

HeadlineOct 01, 2021

In El Salvador, thousands of people took to the streets of the capital San Salvador for another round of protests against President Nayib Bukele and El Salvador’s adoption of bitcoin as an official currency. Critics warn of drastic fluctuations in cryptocurrency’s value and worry about the economic impacts on poorer communities. This is one of the protesters.

Carlos Garcia: “We do not agree with the bitcoin law. We want the law to be removed because it’s money laundering in our country. Also, regarding the constitution, we have a good constitution. The problem is that Bukele wants to be reelected, and he wants to change the constitution.”

Opponents are accusing Bukele of being a dictator. This comes as last month Salvadoran Supreme Court judges, who were recently appointed by Bukele’s political party, ruled that the president could seek a second consecutive term — which until now has been prohibited in El Salvador.

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