Nayib Bukele has become a trend after announcing that El Salvador offers 5,000 free passports for qualified professionals. Bukele emphasized that the initiative is aimed at “highly qualified scientists, engineers, doctors, artists and philosophers from abroad.”
The president of El Salvador and renowned Bitcoin maximalist, Nayib Bukele, has become a trend after announcing that the Central American nation is offering 5,000 free passports for qualified professionals.
“We’re offering 5,000 free passports (equivalent to $5 billion in our passport program) to highly skilled scientists, engineers, doctors, artists, and philosophers from abroad.,” said the Salvadoran president. Such amount corresponds to what the country will no longer receive for non-payment of these immigration documents by that number of foreigners.
5,000 Free Passports for El Salvador, Says Bukele
Despite not revealing the conditions and methodology for the delivery of the passports, Nayib Bukele emphasized that the initiative is aimed at “highly qualified scientists, engineers, doctors, artists and philosophers from abroad.”
“This represents less than 0.1% of our population, so granting them full citizen status, including voting rights, poses no issue. Despite the small number, their contributions will have a huge impact on our society and the future of our country,” Bukele stated.
At the same time, the president of El Salvador made an announcement related to the relocation of professionals:
“Plus, we will facilitate their relocation by ensuring 0% taxes and tariffs on moving families and assets. This includes commercial value items like equipment, software, and intellectual property.”
Following the announcement, various personalities took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their optimism. Among them, the renowned Bitcoin maximalist, Stacy Herbert, remarked that “President Bukele is a modern Lorenzo the Magnificent in his ability to attract the best and brightest to come build the new El Salvador.”
A Route to Bitcoiner Nation
For the crypto community, this initiative is very symbolic. In June 2021, El Salvador became the first nation globally to recognize Bitcoin as legal tender.
Since then, Nayib Bukele has strengthened his Bitcoin strategy despite criticism from international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Additionally, El Salvador has introduced policies to encourage investment in Bitcoin. In December 2023, a new immigration law was passed offering expedited citizenship to foreigners who donate Bitcoin to support the country’s development.
Recently, Bukele revealed El Salvador’s “Bitcoin piggy bank,” which is not connected to the Internet, thus being protected from hacks and theft. In this way, transparency is increased and enthusiasts can observe the Central American nation’s holding of BTC in real time.
Along these same lines, the Nayib Tracker reflects that the Salvadoran government registers unrealized profits of 77.2 million dollars thanks to its Bitcoin strategy (more than 62% of its original investment).
Some Detractor Voices Emerge
The news has not been taken positively by opposition deputies, who point out with concern that the government’s efforts should focus on promoting and supporting national talent, “starting by giving the budget to the University of El Salvador (UES),” he says. Anabel Belloso of the FMLN.
Representative Jaime Guevara, from the left-wing party, describes the publication as “one more advertisement to maintain the national and international perception, and the desired idea of improvement in El Salvador.”
Instead of looking for foreign professionals, Guevara says that they “should create a multidisciplinary team with [their own] scientists and experts who contribute from research to create proposals that help solve the problems that affect the population in economic, educational and production terms, among others.”
By Leonardo Perez
