(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) El Salvador President Nayib Bukele trolled a letter from Democratic members of Congress, accusing the Central American country of violating human rights and democratic values ahead of its 2024 presidential election.
On Wednesday, Bukele brushed aside the accusations by directly addressing embattled Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who led a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for the Biden administration to “review” U.S. relations with El Salvador.
“We are HONORED to receive your attacks, just days before OUR election,” Bukele retorted on Twitter, replying to Omar’s tweet of the letter. “I would be very worried if we had your support.”
We are HONORED to receive your attacks, just days before OUR election.
I would be very worried if we had your support.
Thank you 🙏🏼 https://t.co/7V5a0AdpCV
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) January 31, 2024
Bukele, a popular polical figure in Latin America, initially rose to power in 2019 and, according to local polls, is poised to secure a landslide re-election on Sunday after taking on drug cartels and incarcerating violent criminals.
However, Omar’s letter, co-signed by 13 Democratic lawmakers, accused Bukele of “unlawful arrests and detention” ahead of the February election.
“The Members of Congress are urging the State Department to review its relationship with El Salvador and use America’s diplomatic influence to defend democratic values,” the lawmakers claimed.
“It is not the place of the United States government to determine who is eligible to run for President in a foreign country, nor to pick winners,” they continued. “We are nevertheless alarmed that some of the State Department’s public messaging on the elections has been overly credulous toward President Bukele’s re-election bid, and his governance.”
However, Bukele appeared unfazed by the letter, stating in a separate tweet, “I think the United States should have free and fair elections.”
I think the United States should have free and fair elections.
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) January 31, 2024
This is not the first time Bukele has taken a dig at the U.S. In December 2023, he commented on the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to block former President Trump from appearing on the primary ballot in the state.
“The United States has lost its ability to lecture any other country about ’democracy,’” he said on Twitter.
The United States has lost its ability to lecture any other country about “democracy”. https://t.co/kvtfas9bcC
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) December 20, 2023
Omar’s letter was co-signed by Reps. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas; Jesús “Chuy” García, D-Ill.; Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.; Greg Casar, D-Texas; Linda T. Sánchez, D-Calif.; Mark Pocan, D-WI.; Nydia M. Velázquez, D-N.Y.; Raúl Grijalva D-Ariz.; Barbara Lee, D-Calif.; Jim McGovern D-Mass.; Eleanor Holmes Norton D-D.C.; Jamie Raskin, D-Md.; and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.
