Elon Musk, the influential tech mogul behind Tesla and SpaceX, has publicly commended El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s speech at the UN General Assembly. In his address, Bukele defended his administration against accusations of stifling political opposition and restricting freedom of speech.
Musk took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to praise Bukele’s speech, which was delivered in Spanish. In the speech, Bukele reiterated El Salvador’s commitment to upholding civil liberties, stating, “In El Salvador, we do not imprison our opposition. We do not censor opinions. We do not confiscate property from those who think differently.” He emphasized that “In El Salvador, your freedom of expression, as well as your private property, will always be protected.”
This isn’t the first instance of Musk expressing support for Bukele. Last month, Musk lauded Bukele’s commitment to freedom of speech amid the controversial arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France. Recently, Bukele visited Tesla’s gigafactory in Texas, where he spent several hours in conversation with Musk. The Salvadoran President hailed Musk as “one of the great minds of our time,” and Musk reciprocated by calling Bukele an “amazing leader.”
El Salvador, under President Bukele, has garnered international attention for its pioneering adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021. However, Bukele’s claims about guaranteeing free speech remain a subject of debate. El Salvador was ranked 133rd out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index 2024, down 18 places from the previous year’s rankings. Bukele’s administration has faced accusations of detaining thousands of people as part of his anti-gang campaign. His reelection earlier this year was also met with controversy, as the constitutional court, largely composed of his supporters, allowed him to run again on the condition that he step down before his second term begins.
