Thousands of Salvadorans took to the streets on Wednesday to express their dissatisfaction with the enactment of a law that makes Bitcoin legal in El Salvador.
According to a Reuters report, the protesters are discontent with the Bitcoin law, and also the actions of President Nayib Bukele whom they assume to be an authoritarian.
Aside from swiftly enacting the bitcoin law, the protesters complained about the firing of judges on the constitutional panel of the El Salvadoran supreme court back in May. Judges, as well as then-Attorney General Raul Melara, were fired and replaced by officials who were deemed favorable by President Bukele. These appointments undoubtedly helped smooth the passage of the Bitcoin legal tender law, which some El Salvadorans are still skeptical about.
Another complaint against the Bukele government is the recent passage of a recent court ruling that gave the President the possibility of serving two consecutive tenures. The ruling means that Bukele could run in the 2024 elections and, if victorious, rule the country for another five years.
An estimated 4500 people out of the country’s 6 million-plus citizenry took part in the latest protests against the President, including labor unions, students, opposition party groups, and healthcare workers. They carried anti-bitcoin flags and vandalized Chivo ATMs, facilities put in place by the Bukele government to make it easier for citizens who receive bitcoin to convert them to the local currency (USD) at no extra cost.
Nayib Bukele is adamant that his actions, as well as the Bitcoin law, are in favor of the wider El Salvadoran populace and will address the ongoing protests on national TV before the end of the day. A poll by local newspaper La Prensa Grafica revealed that up to 85.7% of the 1506 people supported the young and vibrant President.
Bukele took to Twitter earlier this month to announce that the country had acquired Bitcoin as part of its legal tender roll-out program.
