Central America
Nayib Bukele, the ruler who breaks ideologies in favor of the people

October 2 |
Nayib Bukele is a president who has transcended ideologies, which has allowed him to work without political-party ties for El Salvador and its inhabitants, especially the marginalized, the excluded and those in vulnerable situations, according to political and social analysts.
Mauricio Rodríguez and Nelson Flores, sociologist and specialist in public administration, respectively, agree that all the projects developed by the Bukele administration have the common denominator of benefiting the communities.
“Transcending ideologies allows us to see the problems of the population to attack them head on and in a forceful manner, and that is what has been done since [Bukele] came to power,” ponders political analyst and sociologist Mauricio Rodríguez.
While Flores considers that “President Bukele from the beginning of his administration managed to capture and understand the common feeling and the real needs of the most unprotected and marginalized population for decades”.
Both analysts also consider that, by transcending ideologies, the Salvadoran president is guaranteeing the welfare and social development of Salvadorans who for years were at the center of the class struggle of right and left.
“President Bukele’s actions made a difference, and his policy focused on seeking the welfare of the population with specific and timely actions,” says Flores, who is also an international cooperation consultant.
Flores maintains that Bukele, with his plan for the nation, has transcended ideologies in the areas of public security, education, health, housing and technology, with which he has put Salvadorans at the center without distinction.
“The population was unprotected and marginalized for decades by a bipartisanship [ARENA and FMLN] that only sought to satisfy the interests of its political leaders and ruling class,” he recalls.
Meanwhile, Rodríguez also maintains that the Bukele administration “has left ideologies aside and has made El Salvador move forward” despite the ungovernability caused by the previous Legislative Assembly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world economic crisis, among other external factors.
As part of his presidential administration without ideological ties, Bukele has consolidated diplomatic relations and friendship with powers such as the United States, Turkey, the People’s Republic of China, among others. Diplomatic relations were recently established with Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Burundi and Angola, in the African continent.
On the contrary, every year-end ARENA and FMLN showed how to block -for ideological reasons- the development of the country and the wellbeing of its inhabitants. The FMLN and ARENA in the Legislative Assembly conditioned their votes on the approval of the general state budget. The ARENOS repeated the same script when they were the opposition in the Congress and the Farabunditas governed the Executive.
Former ARENA advisor and political analyst Carlos Araujo has recognized that the so-called representative democracy and the balance of power have only served for the opposition to block each other and affect the welfare of the people.
“During these 30 years one was in the Government and the other side was in the Assembly with the opposition, and what did they do? They blocked each other […]. Democracy did not solve the big problems that the people demanded”, explains Araujo.
With his triumph in February 2019, Bukele broke with 30 years of the arenero-efemelenista bipartisanship, being considered a person without ideological prejudices that has allowed building a new country from Plan Cuscatlán.
His triumph at the polls, with over 53% of votes, made him the youngest president in the recent history of El Salvador who did not have the traditional ARENA and FMLN parties as his guide, both of which are today splashed by corruption scandals after leaving the Executive.
Bukele is the best evaluated and most popular head of state of El Salvador more than four years after the beginning of his administration, something unprecedented in the recent history of the country, as well as the most influential politician in the region, according to surveys of national and international firms.
With a view to the 2024 elections, Bukele has a 68.4% voting intention, according to the latest public opinion poll of the Universidad Francisco Gavidia (UFG).
Central America
Panama grants Martinelli 72-hour extension to travel to Nicaragua

On Monday (March 31, 2025), Panama extended the safe-conduct pass for former President Ricardo Martinelli by three more days to allow him to travel to Nicaragua, after the Central American country refused to receive him due to concerns over an alleged Interpol arrest warrant.
“The National Government has decided to extend the validity of the safe-conduct pass for an additional seventy-two (72) hours, until the end of Thursday, April 3, 2025,” the Panamanian Foreign Ministry stated in a communiqué. The original permit was set to expire Monday at midnight (05:00 GMT on Tuesday).
The Foreign Ministry explained that regarding the ‘humanitarian asylum’ granted to Martinelli last Thursday, which was set to expire Monday at midnight, the Nicaraguan government requested clarifications about an apparent Interpol alert, which had already been dismissed as inadmissible.
Additionally, the Panamanian Supreme Court of Justice, as the highest authority of the Judicial Branch, stated on Monday that it had “no objections” to granting asylum and a safe-conduct to Martinelli, as it falls under the jurisdiction of the Executive Branch.
Central America
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary urges Mexico to strengthen Guatemala border

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revealed on Monday that during last week’s meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, she urged Mexico to reinforce its border with Guatemala and share biometric datawith U.S. authorities.
“I gave her a list of things that President Trump would love to see. And it was exceptional. It was supposed to be a half-hour meeting, but we talked for nearly two hours. It was very productive,” Noem said in an interview with Fox News.
The Homeland Security Secretary requested that Sheinbaum, who has already deployed 10,000 National Guard troopsalong Mexico’s northern border with the U.S., also secure Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala.
Noem added that she also asked the Mexican president to share biometric data with the U.S., to which Sheinbaum responded that she was “willing to discuss it,” although she acknowledged that it could be a controversial issue in her country.
Central America
Panama police clarifies that Interpol alert for Martinelli is still pending

Panama’s National Police clarified on Sunday that an Interpol alert request for former President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) is still under review and has yet to be confirmed. Martinelli was granted a safe-conduct pass last Thursday to leave the Nicaraguan embassy, where he has been seeking asylum since February 2024 after being convicted of corruption.
“The National Police clarifies that there is currently an active process for an Interpol alert, requested by Judge Baloisa Marquínez, against former President Ricardo Martinelli. This request must be analyzed by Interpol’s General Secretariat (headquartered in France) for approval or rejection. If approved, it will be notified to member countries,” the police stated in a press release sent to EFE.
According to the statement, “at the moment, it remains an ongoing procedure, and former President Martinelli does not have a confirmed alert.”
The announcement came hours after National Police Director Jaime Fernández had told the press that an “Interpol alert” for Martinelli had been received on Friday.
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