Salvadorans Stage New Protests Against President Bukele

On Thursday, thousands of Salvadoreans people took to the streets to reject President Nayib Bukele.The main reasons for their protest were the imposition of Bitcoin, the marginalization of war veterans, and the removal of judges. 

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The protest began in the "Savior of the World" Square in Salvador city. From there, citizens tried to reach the Legislative Assembly headquarters. However, Police forces established a security perimeter around the building to prevent protesters from entering the area.

In September, Congress approved a legal reform allowing judges who are over 60 years of age or have 30 years of service to be removed from office. This provision would allow the Bukele administration to dismiss one-third of the country's judges.

Over the last weeks, Over the past few weeks, 100 judges voluntarily resigned in order to receive compensation, 34 magistrates were dismissed without benefits because they refused to resign, and 115 judges applied for the "stay on call" regime, which is an alternative contemplated in the new rule.

"Judges' rights have been violated... we asked the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to pronounce against this outrage," said Judge Juan Antonio Duran.

Hundreds of veterans of the Salvadoran civil war (1980-1992) also joined the march. They demanded Bukele to honor the promises he made during his electoral campaign. These included higher pensions and scholarships for the children of former combatants, both from the Armed Forces and the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN).

Another reason why Salvadorans protested is the imposition of Bitcoin as legal tender.Citizens claim that this cryptocurrency will make them lose their purchasing power.