The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, offered 5,000 passports this Saturday to “highly qualified foreigners” such as scientists or philosophers who settle in the country, and who may be eligible for Salvadoran citizenship.
“We are offering 5,000 free passports,” the president stated on his account on the social network X. The passports are offered to “highly qualified foreign scientists, engineers, doctors, artists and philosophers,” he added.
“This represents less than 0.1% of our population, so granting them full citizenship status, including the right to vote, does not pose any problem,” said Bukele.
To the “highly qualified” foreigners who decide to take the Salvadoran passport, the government offers to facilitate their relocation by “guaranteeing 0% taxes and tariffs on the transfer of families and assets,” which include “items of commercial value such as equipment, software, and intellectual property.”
“Despite the small number, their contributions will have a huge impact on our society and the future of our country,” Bukele said, and anticipated that he will give “more details” in the future.
Bukele, who assumed the presidency in June 2019, was re-elected for a new five-year term in the elections on February 4, in which he obtained 84.65% of the vote, favored by his crusade against gangs.
After cornering the gangs, Bukele has said that in his new presidential term, which will start on June 1, his government’s efforts will be focused on pushing for an improvement in the economy.
