El Salvador’s Bitcoin Bust Amidst Corruption, U.S. Military Deals, and China Mining
President Nayib Bukele, appears Bitcoin was a Bust. I hear through my Bitcoin buddies that IMF pressured El Salvador’s Congress to undo its cryptocurrency status. No payments, no profits.
Perhaps the Power to undo a ‘catch & deal’ lies not with a President but with the IMF.
Nayib, the future is in high-tech data centers and nuclear plants. NOT archaic prisons. Super-Computers v Smuggled-Captives.
After January 2017, a party of ‘new ideas’ was soon to get started in El Salvador. GOP, is it true that your New Idea of MAGA was inspired by Nayib?
Let’s ask Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Explain why you were in El Salvador in July 21, 2019 shaking hands with President Nayib Bukele following Bukele’s presidential inauguration in June 2019?
Right, GOPS new policies on borders, trade and defense contracts. Looks like ‘little marco’ is attempting to finish what you started.
Americans have a saying ‘What came first, the chicken or the egghead.’ Latin Americans also have a saying, ‘Aqui hay gato encerrado.’ Or, ‘something stinks.’
US Justice Department’s accused Bukele’s Administration of what some may call playing ‘catch and release’ with gang leaders between 2019 and 2021. US State Department calls it ‘secret negotiations.’ I guess they saw the roundup of ‘bad hombres’ of MS-13 and Barrio 18 as ‘pay-to-play.’
Nayib, read my March 29th paper “Fighting & Trumping the Rise of Totalitarian Terrorism!” Sure appears you’re willing to do U.S. dirty work, albeit at a price. Take a listen:
Of course, U.S. ‘Inside Plan’ is not as sophisticated as Stallone’s role of a security expert in the film ‘Escape Plan, playing a prisoner who escapes from a ‘top-secret, high-tech’ maximum security prison. No, there are no ‘Goodfellas’ here.
Venezuela, wonder how “They” may have quickly rounded up your citizens? No, not border patrol or ICE.
El Salvador’s Center for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT) too seems to have a ‘solution’ to U.S. refugee and immigrant problem. How can the refugee be made deportable again?”
U.S. Defense Contractors at El Salvador’s 12 o’clock & 6 o’clock
Pompeo, you reportedly participated in a signing ceremony for the CSL Lease Extension. According to the FourthFleet.Navy, “CSL Comalapa’s mission is to provide critical security, logistics, infrastructure, and operational support to forward deployed United States aviation units.”
With Coordinates 14°8′N 88°57′W, CSL Comalapa in El Salvador is situated North of CECOT, the maximum security prison in Tecoluca. Let’s zoom in…
Ideal location for a defense contractor to secure hundreds of soldiers and police to guard CECOT.
But I think readers may want to hear what happened two years later: On December 3, 2021, “U.S. Navy Engages Continuity for a 4th Year on Security Contract in El Salvador.” What is Continuity?
“Continuity Global Solutions is a Defense and Government Services contractor headquartered in Washington, DC with a global presence in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East.”
According to Continuity GS:
“U.S. Navy has extended its security contract at CSL Comalapa in El Salvador for a fourth year. This addition brings the contract’s total value to nearly $1.5million USD.”
Not bad, but El Salvador just got $6million in a trade for U.S. captives.
But why El Salvador? Says their CEO, “The decision of the U.S. Navy to exercise a third year on this contract makes our team proud.” Proud of what, profiting being a War Merchant?
Continuity Global Solutions (CGS), in 2021, the year after extension of your security contract, was part of your U.S. mission to facilitate security in 2022 at CECOT, the maximum security prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador and expedite its opening in January 2023?
CGS, looks like this ‘quick and dirty’ scheme got the attention of Latin American countries. Not news to you? Right, “Continuity has executed contracts…around the world, including a variety of security contracts in Latin America.”
El Salvador, is it true you have about 110,000 people in prison, twice that of Cuba? Hmm, at $6 million for 300 or so, partnering up in this ‘catch and release’ game with U.S. is pretty profitable for you. Appears for contractors too, right CGS?
CGS, what about the Middle East? Take Bahrain for example. It has been a ‘major non-NATO ally.’ But your global presence in the Middle East was cut short.
I hear your proposal was rejected by GAOs decision in Aug 12, 2021 for “provision of local guard services at the United States embassy in Bahrain.”
Oops, Mission Not Accomplished. Hmm, did it interfere with Israel’s Abraham Accords? If so, was Israel planning to open a center for POWs? Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis, I think this means you.
Why not? Defense contractors capitalize on U.S. Navy and Military presence in Juffair, Syria, Yemen as other global sites. Hell, why not make the Taliban a counter offer and take back Bagram?
President Bukele, do you disagree? Oh, but you got your own military and are independent, right? It’s preposterous! Funny, sounds a lot like what the Taliban said about US in Bagram. It’s “propaganda.”
“Afghanistan is an independent country, and it has independent forces. There is no need for any other military presence, nor will it be allowed. Afghanistan is a country that has peace and security, there is no need for such a step.”
If U.S. is already in El Salvador just as China who bought El Salvador’s debt in exchange for more regional influence in the Americas what’s to stop either Trump or Xi from making a deal in Afghanistan?
El Salvador, still, when it comes to global partners, Colombia is said to be the only Latin American country NATO cooperates with. Yet, it doesn’t look like Colombians share the same view as neighboring countries. I hear they see your center as a ‘concentration camp.’
Germany still struggles to change the world’s view of the Fatherland. But as a developed country with a modern economy, Deutschland builds and trades in the art of machine engineering not old artifacts.
Americans like to say ‘possession is nine-tenths of law.’ But people and profits are not about the law, right?
Illicit Trade: Human & Drug Smuggling
President Nayib Bukele, you reportedly stated: “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States?” Interesting you should mention ‘smuggle.’ Let’s focus on “illicit trade of El Salvadorian artifacts.”
According to Cultural Property News, “El Salvador Seeks MOU Renewal Despite 37 Year History of Import Restrictions, Corruption, and Government Neglect.”
“Despite restrictions, Prehispanic objects continue to circulate in the European market and collecting of Pre-Columbian art has expanded to the Middle East and China. It is likely that El Salvadorian objects are included due to their similarity to artifacts from neighboring countries…The difficulty in distinguishing between objects from these countries poses a challenge in curbing the illicit trade of El Salvadorian artifacts.” [Bold and underlined for emphasis]
Bukele, with U.S. back and forth on tariffs and restrictions what is your take “With respect to justifying import restrictions based on their being an active U.S. market for looted materials, El Salvador has provided no evidence that this is the case. El Salvador is not known for the artistic quality of its antiquities, nor for their high value”?
We take your point Nayib. It seems to me, and your neighboring countries may agree, how can you “smuggle a terrorist” when you can’t even smuggle ‘high value’ artifacts without getting caught?
Dare Mock Hamas or Mexican Cartel? Best you not confuse ‘Warriors’ or ‘Wolf Pack’ with a laughing hyena.
Right O, quiet so, Sir Nayib “It’s preposterous.” Thought you received an honorary doctoral degree from Beijing International Studies University, NOT Oxford University. 🙂
Looks like all you’ve got to export is ‘coffee’ and rare and creepy prison centers to ‘import’ foreign prisoners!
But ancient artifacts, people and drug smuggling is longstanding and “With respect to the U.S. being a primary market for El Salvadoran looted objects – after 37 years of import restrictions, any El Salvadoran objects in circulation in the U.S. have been in circulation for a very long time.”
Corruption Crackdown
Well Mr. President, if you’ve got this far reading without what my Colombian compadres say, “Espera, como a Moralito, le caera La gota fría,” then here it is. According to the Committee for Cultural Policy and Global Heritage Alliance – Written Testimony:
“Despite President Nayib Bukele’s recent militarization of state security and crackdown on gangs…El Salvador ranks 126 out of 180 countries, with a corruption score of 31. This score represents a decline from last year, indicating that corruption is worsening.”
Bukele, this is where it gets interesting. In fact, does the following resonate with your recent visit to the White House and hearing ‘MAGAs’ New Ideas party?
“Despite government claims of fighting corruption, its actions often target political opponents while investigations involving current officials from Bukele’s Nuevas Ideas party have not been pursued with the same intensity. By July 26, 2024, El Salvador’s Attorney General’s Office had opened investigations into 285 cases of corruption, involving charges such as embezzlement, extortion, and bribery.” [Bold and underlined for emphasis]
GOP, it doesn’t look good for your Amigo down under. Betcha thought you had a stronghold on this scheme. Or are you the idea sharing kind?
Nayib, it looks like your ‘Amigo’ in El Norte may see its ‘New Friend’ as reflecting a bad light on them:
“The U.S. State Department has reported that President Bukele’s so-called “war on corruption” includes high-profile cases against former presidents and municipal officials.”
U.S. Judges and Supreme Court may concur with the following testimony:
“Under Bukele’s administration, El Salvador’s democratic safeguards have also been systematically weakened. The appointment of political allies to key positions in the Supreme Court and the Attorney General’s Office has undermined the judiciary’s independence, exacerbating the country’s corruption crisis. The removal of independent judges and prosecutors has deepened a sense of impunity for those in government favor, further weakening efforts to prosecute crimes related to illegal development projects.” [Bold and underlined for emphasis]
Doesn’t look good President Bukele. Like ‘Lady Justice,’ only a matter of time before the People rise to fight back. Appears you have literally forced them into a corner when you took away and disappeared their Sons, Fathers, Husbands, Brothers, Uncles, Nephews, Cousins and Friends:
“The executive branch’s control over the judiciary threatens fundamental democratic processes… President Bukele’s administration has been widely criticized for human rights violations, particularly as innocent citizens, especially children, have been caught up in its “war against gangs.” The judiciary has played a role in enabling the continued detention of suspects without due process.”
U.S. Supreme Court, how would you face Americans of a ‘Superior Developed Country’ protesting being ruled like a third world country?
“After thirty-seven years, the CPAC should acknowledge that El Salvador’s request for yet another extension should be denied.”
Nayib, Ready to ‘Pay-to-Play’ with China’s Economic Strength?
President Nayib Bukele, in the ‘Bitcoin Bust’, appears from a Cost-Benefit analysis the people paid and President benefited. But building a ‘Bitcoin City’ or ‘Bukele City’ hasn’t played out.
Of course, there’s always #Go Fu@k ME Crypto or have China mine your coins!
Sure, ‘War on Crime’ helped build CECOT but bloody ROI not so good. May be best to leave it to ‘quick and dirty’ builders who were happy to erect your sporting and ‘housing’ projects back in 2019.
Bukele, if Chinese are expert ‘miners’ why not have them build data centers or nuclear plants? Ban on metal mining due to risk of cyanide contamination? But didn’t you reverse it?
Oh, so this is what you meant by “bitter medicine” for the Salvadoran people?
But will your new Amigo up north mind your Alliance with Xi? Nayib, not only does China and U.S. own YOUR ass but China owns BOTH YOUR asses!
Persist playing this “War Against Gangs”? Recall what happened to Gaddafi? Appears his support of Western Dealers ‘War on Terror’ backfired.
Like a player in a Bitcoin Bust unable to pay, he was sent on a chase and hunted down, ‘getting thrown under the bus.’
Nayib, the game of ‘pay-to-play’ poetic justice has but one rule and one loser. 🙁