Bukele’s Bitcoin Blunder: Salvadorans Say “Meh” to Crypto, Cheers for Cops!

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What ho, old bean! It appears that the dashingly debonair President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador is having a bit of a spot of bother with his Bitcoin wheeze. While the chap remains as popular as a free bar at a society wedding, with a staggering 91.9% approval rating according to La Prensa Gráfica, his crypto caper isn’t exactly setting the world alight. A mere 2.2% of the surveyed chaps and gelati considered it his biggest failure, which is about as impactful as a wet firework.

Out of 1,200 souls polled, nearly two-thirds gave him a hearty thumbs-up, while a paltry 1.8% could muster only a feeble raspberry. Bukele, ever the wag, took to the social media ether to chortle about the opposition’s dwindling numbers, quipping that they’d soon need a magnifying glass to spot themselves.

It seems the old boy’s popularity is more tied to his crime-busting antics than his digital dosh dreams. Rather like a chap who’s brilliant at cricket but insists on reciting poetry at dinner parties-one’s a hit, the other’s a bit of a bore.

Crime Crackdown: The Real Crowd-Pleaser

The survey reveals that Bukele’s staunch stance against gangs has turned him into the nation’s darling. Since taking the helm in 2019, he’s transformed El Salvador from a place where one might expect to be mugged at every turn into a spot where one can stroll without fearing for one’s pocket watch. The pièce de résistance? The Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a sprawling prison that’s put the wind up the local ne’er-do-wells. Homicide rates have plummeted faster than a debutante’s standards at a country dance, and the populace is jolly well chuffed.

For the average Salvadorian, a safe walk to the shops trumps the ability to buy a cup of tea with Bitcoin any day of the week.

Bitcoin: All Fizz, No Pop

El Salvador made quite the splash in 2021 by embracing Bitcoin as legal tender, but it turns out the locals are as enthusiastic about it as a vicar at a jazz club. The survey found that the topic barely registered, with respondents more concerned about whether their local bakery had run out of croissants. Even Bukele himself, in a candid chat with TIME, admitted the whole affair hadn’t quite gone according to plan. Rather like inviting the entire village to a party and finding only the milkman has turned up.

The International Monetary Fund, those old sticks-in-the-mud, have been wagging their fingers about financial risks, but Bukele’s not one to let a bit of tut-tutting spoil his fun.

Bitcoin Binge Continues, Regardless

Despite the public’s lukewarm reception and the IMF’s stern glances, El Salvador is pressing on with its Bitcoin binge, buying one a day since 2022. It’s like a chap who insists on wearing a monocle to a football match-utterly committed, even if no one else quite gets it. Online trackers show the national stash is still growing, even after the government agreed to tone down some crypto shenanigans as part of a $1.4 billion IMF deal. One can’t help but admire the fellow’s pluck, even if it’s all a bit quixotic.

For now, Bukele’s sky-high approval ratings give him the leeway to carry on with his Bitcoin folly, whether the populace is using it or not. Rather like a chap who insists on wearing spats in the rain-it’s his party, and he’ll spats if he wants to.

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2026-02-09 14:56