91% of Salvadorans approve of government of BTC-loving President Bukele (survey)

A survey conducted by one of the leading daily newspapers in El Salvador – La Prensa Grafica – determined that President Nayib Bukele has the support of 91% of the local population.

The media is known as an opposition to the current political regime in the Central American country, which leads the leader to doubt that the figure could be even higher.

Bukele’s record approval rate

El Salvador’s president, who took the helm in June 2019, enjoys one of the highest approval ratings globally. Earlier data showed that about 85% of Salvadorans were satisfied with his rule, while the latest study by La Prensa Grafica estimated that number has risen to 91%. Less than 7% refused, while 2.1% did not answer the question.

Those who are most satisfied with Bukele’s administration are mainly younger generations and individuals with medium economic status.

According to survey participants, some of his best achievements in recent years include handling the COVID-19 pandemic, improving the health sector, building the country’s highway infrastructure and enforcing reforms in education.

Bukele shared the results on Twitter, suggesting that the actual numbers could be even higher since La Prensa Grafica has previously criticized his policies.

To the wider community, the 41-year-old leader is known as an ardent advocate of bitcoin, with local authorities launching a number of initiatives focused on the primary cryptocurrency of late. The most prominent example was the adoption of BTC as legal tender within El Salvador’s borders, which became official in September 2021.

However, many Salvadorans appear to oppose the strategy, describing it as one of the biggest failures of Bukele’s cabinet. The respondents stated that price increases for goods and services and unemployment are other conditions that the authorities must fix.

Salvadorans should see the other side of the coin

Despite being hailed as a failure by some Salvadorans, there are certain benefits that should also be considered.

First, the small nation became very popular and strengthened its tourism industry. El Salvador’s Minister of Tourism – Morena Valdez – so last year that the sector had been up over 30% in the first months of bitcoin adoption:

“We did a poll to check the activity according to before and after bitcoin. The tourism sector increased in November and December. This increased by more than 30%.”

President Bukele recently revealed that the country has become even more attractive to travellers, and has increased tourism by 95%. He claimed that the many bitcoin trials introduced by El Salvador are a factor behind the increase.

Bukele also stated that opening arms against BTC has fixed the nation’s legacy. Before that, it was notorious for being among the most violent countries in the world, peaking at 103 murders per 100,000 inhabitants a few years ago.

Later, the president said that El Salvador has received “a lot of private investment” since jumping on the bitcoin bandwagon.