Reversal of Misfortune – Hoping El Salvador Joins The Free World

Today Donald Trump will meet with Nayib Bukele, the new president of El Salvador.  Our countries could unite as allies on security and migration…a marked change considering that El Salvador has been among the most flagrant violators in both areas.  Bukele’s predecessor, Sanchez Ceren, cancelled his last commitment to meet with VP Pence. 
Is Bukele a closet evangelical?  Christian Minister Dante Gebel was invited to bless President Bukele’s inauguration.  This honor would traditionally be extended to a member of the Roman Catholic church and carry the anti-American communist liberation theology tone typical of Latin Pope Francis.  Instead, the decidedly evangelical Pastor Dante prayed for over five minutes.  He declared that El Salvador has neglected God, refused God.  In a powerful corporate repentance, he asked that God hear as the nation repented according to 2 Chronicles 7:14.  In the end, the shofar was blown.  This ram’s horn trumpet is a potent identifier with the Hebrew people of the Bible, blown at times of victory and holy convocations…and to summon the armies of Israel to war!  

Aside from being an ethnic Palestinian, President Bukele is the son of a Muslim imam.  His father was the president of the Salvadorian Islamic Association.  When asked about his ethnicity before the election, he stated that he is 100% Salvadorian and both his parents were born in El Salvador.  About religion, he stated that his father was a convert to Islam and his three siblings studied the Bible at evangelical universities.  He stated that he intended to advocate religious freedom for adherents to all religions and greater understanding between faiths.  About himself, he quoted not from the Koran, but the Bible, “by their fruits ye shall know them.”  The fruit of the Bukele presidency so far is a pronounced shift toward the USA, away from Venezuela/Nicaragua/Mexico (and socialist President AMLO); toward the OAS, away from the UN; toward free Christianity, away from Islam and Catholicism;  toward honest politics, away from the gangs, trafficking and bribery.  In the holy land, the Palestinians mistrust him.  The Jewish Jerusalem Foundation just donated his government  $100,000 worth of medical supplies.  A spokesman for MS-13 said before the inauguration, “We trust in God and in Nayib Bukele” (yes, the gangs have tacit support of the Catholic powers, and worship a skeletal version of the Virgin Mary).  After taking power, Bukele stated, “In four years, the gangs will not exist!” 

Admiral Craig Faller expressed high hopes of cooperation with Bukele’s government (see July 11 report).  I was critical of that assessment, but it is proving correct. Today, Bukele will meet with Trump and be definite where he has in the past been suggestive.  48 hours later, the new USA-Salvadorian Migration (and security) Agreement is supposed to activate.  Of course it may already be very much active, as there were 17 supposedly gang-related deaths on the day of the signing (9-20), and no one really knows what happened while the lights were out (9-16).  The day after the signing was strangely calm, without even a single murder…