President Nayib Bukele has doubled down on his critique of mainstream media, accusing journalists of operating as political activists funded to advance specific agendas. The Salvadoran leader specifically named outlets La Prensa Gráfica and Diario CoLatino for their recent reporting, which he claims lacked ethics and methodology.
In a recent statement on X, Bukele reiterated:
“In the State of the Nation Address, I said that the majority of journalists have no method, no ethics, but are simply paid activists to push agendas, generally that of Open Society (and until recently that of NED and USAID).”
He highlighted two examples:
- La Prensa Gráfica reported an MS-13 leader’s capture by U.S. ICE without disclosing he’d been convicted in absentia in El Salvador. Bukele stated:
“They omit that he was convicted in absentia, in a clear attempt to make it appear that he mysteriously appeared in the United States.”
The outlet later removed the article.
- Diario CoLatino amplified rumors that Bukele shared a comprehensive list of Salvadorans in the U.S. (legal and undocumented) with the Trump administration to accelerate deportations. He dismissed this as:
“The second case is so absurd that it doesn’t even deserve an explanation.”
Concluding sharply, Bukele emphasized:
“I repeat: they are not journalists, they are POLITICAL ACTIVISTS with an agenda. And they have the right to be so. But let’s call things by their name.”
This incident underscores a growing global debate: when journalism blurs with activism, funded by external interests, it risks eroding public trust. The profession’s credibility hinges on transparency—both in methods and motives.
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This phenomenon isn’t unique to El Salvador, though it’s particularly visible there. Across Western nations, many journalists operate as “pluma pagada” (paid pen) – media professionals who align their work with funded agendas rather than objective reporting.
These include globalist initiatives, ideological campaigns, and anti-family narratives, all serving the interests of foreign NGOs and financing entities. In El Salvador, both media outlets and NGOs historically promoted (and still push) pro-crime agendas defending criminals, alongside aggressive gender and feminist frameworks.
President Bukele has exposed this machinery for years, refusing to bow to these neo-socialist agendas. His resistance explains why these “paid pen” activists relentlessly attack him – he’s shut down their influence operations in El Salvador.
While the country has made progress, remnants of these agendas persist, notably feminist-inspired laws that still require reform. The cleansing of these ideological implants remains unfinished work for the nation.
Source: https://x.com/nayibbukele/status/1932907478083338698, Address to the Nation | June 2025 | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAifDZnv8gE&t=7s
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