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EL SALVADOR’S President Nayib Bukele rebranded himself “the world’s coolest dictator” on Tuesday as he brushed off criticism of his authoritarianism.
He made the change to his Twitter profile as he faces mass protests against his rule and a new Bitcoin Law, which was introduced two weeks ago.
It made the cryptocurrency legal tender in the impoverished Central American nation, where about 70 per cent of the population do not have a bank account.
But the price of bitcoin is notoriously volatile and it crashed by 15 per cent within hours of the law coming in force. Angry protesters reacted by vandalising ATMs.
Mr Bukele’s opponents say that the adoption of the new currency is a distraction from his dismantling of democratic institutions and attacks on press freedom.
Earlier this year, El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly moved to sack Prosecutor General Raul Melara and five members of the Supreme Court’s constitutional chamber.
In August, legislative amendments were passed allowing the dismissal of judges over the age of 60 or with more than 30 years of service.
Following the removal of these potential obstacles, the constitutional chamber authorised Mr Bukele to potentially seek another five-year term in the 2024 presidential election.
