Bukele warns of sinister globalist forces to be fought with new Foreign Agents Law
On June 1, Nayib Bukele delivered a speech to the nation from the National Theater in San Salvador, on the first anniversary of commencing his unconstitutional second term as president. In a large portion of his address, Bukele described sinister globalist forces who want to thwart his project and return El Salvador to a time of gang-controlled misery.
Early in the speech he stated:
They gave us studies, grand projects on how to save us, but deep down, they never believed it was possible, and that's why their solutions were never designed to work. El Salvador was controlled by people with no intention of helping us. Six years ago, we merely began to reclaim our country. Today, El Salvador no longer belongs to foreign actors or their local puppets. Today, El Salvador belongs to the Salvadoran people.
Bukele declared that he would never give in to calls by human rights organizations or international media to lift the State of Exception:
Me, personally, they have called me a dictator in every media outlet they could and wanted to, from Salvadoran periodicals to the most prestigious international publications. You know what? I don't care if they call me a dictator. I prefer them to call me a dictator than to see Salvadorans killed in the streets. I prefer these moments when I pick up my cell phone and see "dictator, dictator, dictator, dictator" in the news and not see "murder, murder, murder, murder, murder." I prefer them to call me a dictator, but for Salvadorans to finally be able to live in peace.
You can get an English language translation of the text of Bukele's address here.
Against the influence of these outside actors, Bukele celebrated in his speech the passage of a new Foreign Agents Law. This new law was quickly adopted after Bukele shut down with riot police a peaceful march of campesinos approaching the exclusive neighborhood where he has his residence. After the protest, Bukele announced on X:
Yesterday, we witnessed how humble people were manipulated by self-proclaimed leftist groups and globalist NGOs, whose only real objective is to attack the government ...
Therefore, and given the apparent worry of these NGOs, I have decided to send the Foreign Agents Bill to the Legislative Assembly, which will include a 30% tax on all donations these NGOs receive.
El Salvador's Legislative Assembly, where the Nuevas Ideas party holds a 57-3 seat majority, saluted their leader and approved the Foreign Agents Law on May 20. The law was fast-tracked by suspending the rules of the legislature and by-passing any committee process.
The stated purpose of the law is to promote transparency and protect national sovereignty by regulating individuals and entities that receive foreign funding for activities conducted within El Salvador.
Every payment made from abroad to such groups, whether in cash, goods or services, will be subject to a 30 percent excise tax, collected by financial institutions. The final law passed does not specify how the money from the tax will be used.
A copy of the full law is here.
There is little doubt who Bukele wants to target with this law initially. He is aiming at human rights groups like Cristosal which investigate and publish reports and provide legal representation for victims of Bukele's regime and his disregard of constitutional and human rights standards. Bukele is targeting independent journalism sites like El Faro, Revista Factum and GatoEncerrado, which expose corruption and publish investigations of the government's secret pacts with gangs. These NGOs and periodicals receive international funding from donors and grant-makers, who support human rights globally and who believe that having a vigorous free press is important for preserving citizen rights in a country.
The vague and broad definition of a “foreign agent” in the law can cover not only human rights organizations, and independent media outlets, but it can also reach community development associations, religious entities, and international aid agencies. Bukele says that groups that are truly coming into the country to provide humanitarian or other aid will be exempted from the law's financial requirements, but they will not be allowed to engage in political activity, or "disturb the social order." In other words, stay friendly to the Bukele regime if you want to be exempt.
Bukele said in his speech to the nation:
All cooperation that comes for social projects from friendly countries or organizations will be tax-free. But there are foreign organizations that claim to come to help and really come to do politics, to move millions for political campaigns, to operate in the dark without rules, without limits, without paying anything. No one elected them in democratic elections, since we're talking about democracy, not even in second-degree elections, but they feel they have the right to influence the country's decisions with money, with total impunity.
The supposed human rights organizations defend murderers who once massacred our people. The traditional media deploy activists disguised as journalists to spread lies, and they call that freedom of the press. Foreign congressmen come knocking on prison doors demanding we release criminals.
Bukele's justification, centered on national sovereignty, contrasts sharply with the widespread criticism that the law is primarily designed to stifle dissent and exert control over civil society. The broad and vaguely defined terms, such as activities threatening "national security" or "social stability," combined with the substantial 30% tax and the discretionary powers vested in the registrar, provide the government with considerable leverage to target organizations it perceives as critical or problematic. This pattern has been observed in other nations where similar laws have been utilized to curtail civic space.
The law has been met with fierce criticism and labeled as a "gag law" and an "authoritarian tool for censorship" designed to weaken civic space and target government critics. Analysts point at the ambiguous criteria for exclusions and the extensive powers granted to the executive branch through RAEX.
Labeling those who receive legitimate funding as "foreign agents" stigmatizes, silences, and weakens the country's civic fabric. It is not compatible with a democratic society.
The right to freedom of association includes the right to access national and international resources. This also applies to unregistered organizations.
Civil society organizations and NGOs have expressed grave concerns, estimating that as many as 8,000 NGOs could be adversely affected.
- Opposition legislator Claudia Ortiz called the law “an authoritarian tool for censorship“ and said it hands the president excessive levels of control. “It’s obvious that exemptions will only be given to groups that align with the government, while those who expose corruption or abuse will be punished,” she said.
- Lawyer Roxana Cardona of the NGO Justicia Social y Controlaría Ciudadana said: “The Foreign Agents Law seeks to suppress organisations that promote civic participation or support marginalised groups the state ignores.”
- Eduardo Escobar, director of Acción Ciudadana, added: “This is part of the government’s increasing repression. It affects constitutional rights like freedom of expression and freedom of association.”
- Lawyer and analyst Bessy Ríos said: “The goal is to control the funding of civil society, especially organisations critical of the government.”
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