President Nayib Bukele’s recent post on June 13, 2026 covered several topics. This article focuses specifically on what he said about Japan and Singapore — two countries he has long admired and now holds up as examples for El Salvador’s future.
President Nayib Bukele has a clear vision for where El Salvador should go. And the countries he points to as examples are not in Latin America. They are on the other side of the world: Japan and Singapore.
In a recent post on social media, Bukele made his vision explicit:
“The path forward for our country is the path of Japan and Singapore, not the path of the Congo.”
A long-standing admiration for Japan
Bukele’s interest in Japan is not new. Years before becoming president, he traveled to Japan for work — his family owned Yamaha dealerships in El Salvador. During that trip, he was struck by something that stayed with him: Japan’s public safety.
At a time when El Salvador was struggling with high crime rates and gang violence, seeing a country where streets were safe, where people could walk at night without fear, left a deep impression. It planted a question in his mind: why can’t El Salvador be like this?
That question has shaped his thinking ever since.
Singapore: a small nation with big lessons
More recently, Bukele has also pointed to Singapore as a country El Salvador should look to. In a meeting last year, he mentioned Singapore and the United Arab Emirates as nations he wants El Salvador to increasingly resemble over the next decade.
Singapore’s appeal is easy to understand when you consider the similarities:
- Both are small nations without vast territories.
- Both lack abundant natural resources.
- Both had to build prosperity from scratch through smart policy and hard work.
If a tiny island nation with no resources could become a global hub for finance, technology, and trade, Bukele believes El Salvador can too.
What Japan and Singapore represent
For Bukele, Japan and Singapore are not just wealthy countries. They are proof that a nation can transform itself through:
- Security and social order — as he saw firsthand in Japan
- Technological innovation — from robotics to smart infrastructure
- Strategic economic policy — building on strengths instead of depending on others
- Education and hard work — creating opportunities for citizens
He is not interested in copying them exactly. Every country has its own culture, history, and challenges. But the direction is clear: El Salvador should learn from what worked for them and adapt it to its own reality.
Adapting, not copying
Bukele understands that El Salvador is not Japan or Singapore. The country has its own history, its own struggles, and its own people. But that does not mean there is nothing to learn.
The lesson of Japan and Singapore is that development is possible — even for a small country with limited resources. It requires vision, discipline, and a willingness to look forward instead of backward.
“The key to saving the environment is not looking backward, it’s moving forward.”
“The answer is not underdevelopment. The answer is progress.”
A vision for the future
Bukele’s admiration for Japan and Singapore is not new. It has been building for years — from his first trip to Japan, to his recent comments about Singapore, to this latest post where he explicitly named them as the path forward.
The goal is not to become a copy of Japan or Singapore. The goal is to learn from their success and build an El Salvador that is safer, more prosperous, and more innovative — adapted to its own people and its own reality.
“The path forward for our country is the path of Japan and Singapore.”
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