The president of El Salvador on Dec. 12 accused the U.S. government of funding the “communist” opposition against him in order to destabilize his government.
“It’s not working though,” Bukele added, posting four pictures below his comment, including one aerial picture to purportedly show the protest against him on Dec. 12 wasn’t widely attended.
The other pictures posted by Bukele include protesters holding U.S. flags and show nearby alleged supporters of the left-wing opposition party Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN).
It’s unknown what concrete information Bukele has to link the United States to the opposition.
Bukele’s accusations about U.S. meddling come after the U.S. Treasury targeted high-level Salvadoran officials for alleged corruption on Dec. 8 and 9.
The Treasury stated in a press release that Bukele’s administration provided money to the criminal organizations MS-13 and Barrio 18 in 2020 to reduce gang violence.
The two officials who led the negotiations with the gangs, Osiris Luna Meza, chief of the penal system, and Amilcar Marroquin, vice-minister of justice and public security, are among those who received sanctions.
Bukele’s chief of Cabinet, Martha Carolina Recinos De Bernal, has also been targeted by the Treasury. She allegedly awarded millions of dollars in inflated contracts related to the pandemic, which provided kickbacks to Salvadoran officials and some of Bukele’s advisers.
Despite controversies, Bukele’s approval ratings are very strong, with two polls in December showing 93.5 and 96 percent approval in his management of the pandemic.