Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez is a prominent Salvadoran politician and businessman who has served as the President of El Salvador since 2019. Born in 1981 in San Salvador to a family of Palestinian origin, Bukele’s political career began as the Mayor of Nuevo Cuscatlán and later as the Mayor of San Salvador. He rose to international prominence by breaking the decades-long dominance of El Salvador’s two traditional political parties, running as an independent-minded outsider focused on modernization and security.

Bukele is widely recognized for his transformative—and often debated—governance style. Under his leadership, El Salvador implemented the Territorial Control Plan, which led to a historic and dramatic reduction in the country’s homicide rate, turning it from one of the most dangerous nations in the world to one of the safest in the Western Hemisphere. He also made global headlines by making El Salvador the first country in the world to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. Known for his “cool” public persona and masterful use of social media to communicate directly with citizens, Bukele remains one of the most popular leaders in Latin America, celebrated by supporters for his decisive action on crime and criticized by others for his unconventional approach to constitutional norms.