El Salvador's Elite: Inside Bukele's Wealthy Inner Circle
WHO:
EL PAÍS English - Ernesto Sanabria, press secretary to President Nayib Bukele.
EL PAÍS English - Héctor Dada, former minister of economy.
EL PAÍS English - Carolina Recinos, Chief of Staff.
EL PAÍS English - Miguel Kattán, Secretary of Trade and Investment.
EL PAÍS English - Douglas Rodríguez, president of the Central Reserve Bank (BCR).
EL PAÍS English - José Robles Sorto, Kaleb Navarro, Suecy Callejas, pro-government lawmakers.
EL PAÍS English - Martha Carolina Recinos, chief of staff and close official to Bukele.
EL PAÍS English - Efrén Arnoldo Bernal Chávez, former FMLN legislator and current Salvadoran ambassador to Italy.
EL PAÍS English - Karim and Yusef Bukele, president's brothers.
WHAT:
EL PAÍS English - Sanabria's wealth grew from $269,884 in 2019 to over $2 million in 2026.
EL PAÍS English - Bukele and his family acquired 34 new properties, increasing their landholdings twelvefold to assets valued at over $10 million.
EL PAÍS English - Bukele's net worth increased from $964,546 in 2012 to $4,466,478 in 2026, a 363% increase.
EL PAÍS English - At least 21 public officials increased their wealth by as much as 713% in seven years or less.
EL PAÍS English - Kattán's wealth increased from $403,620 to $3.9 million, with a $3.1 million loan reported as a liability.
EL PAÍS English - Recinos' net worth rose from $182,945 to $1.3 million.
EL PAÍS English - Rodríguez's wealth increased from $153,130 to $1.3 million.
EL PAÍS English - The Salvadoran government reached an agreement with the IMF for a $1.4 billion loan in December 2024.
EL PAÍS English - The government reversed bitcoin's status as legal tender in January 2025, making its use "optional."
EL PAÍS English - Between 2019 and 2024, an additional 241,927 Salvadorans fell below the threshold of extreme poverty.
EL PAÍS English - Local media reported a 16% increase in Chinese imports to El Salvador between 2024 and 2025.
WHERE:
EL PAÍS English - El Salvador.
EL PAÍS English - National Palace in San Salvador.
EL PAÍS English - Historic downtown of San Salvador.
EL PAÍS English - Plaza Libertad in San Salvador.
WHEN:
EL PAÍS English - Bukele took office in 2019.
EL PAÍS English - Asset declarations published in May 2026.
EL PAÍS English - The IMF loan agreement was reached in December 2024.
EL PAÍS English - The reversal of bitcoin's status occurred in January 2025.
WHY:
EL PAÍS English - The growth in wealth among Bukele's inner circle is attributed to lax fiscal controls and suspect loans.
EL PAÍS English - The IMF's pressure for fiscal adjustments and transparency policies influenced the government's actions.
HOW:
EL PAÍS English - The government opened a small window into financial disclosures through a difficult-to-access web portal.
EL PAÍS English - The government evicted tens of thousands of informal vendors from the historic center to increase property values and attract investors.
(UPDATED July 19, 2026 13:19 UTC)
In El Salvador, recent asset declarations reveal significant increases in wealth among President Bukele's inner circle, with press secretary Ernesto Sanabria's net worth soaring from $269,884 in 2019 to over $2 million in 2026. Bukele and his family have acquired 34 new properties, boosting their landholdings to over $10 million, while at least 21 public officials have seen their wealth rise by as much as 713% in just seven years. This growth is attributed to lax fiscal controls and suspect loans, amid a backdrop of increasing poverty and a recent agreement with the IMF for a $1.4 billion loan.