In El Salvador where Bitcoin (BTC) is a legal tender since 2021, an opposition voice to the Nayib Bukele government calls into question the adoption of the pioneering digital currency at the governmental level. Deputy Claudia Ortiz, of the Vamos party, strongly criticized the use of state funds for the purchase of digital currencies, framing this policy within a broader context of concentration of power and institutional weakening.
The legislator was overwhelming in her position, stating that The commitment to buy BTC is not the most appropriate for the country.
“You can’t continue using public money to buy bitcoin or pay with this currency,” Ortiz sentencedwarning about the risks of involving state finances in such a volatile market.
Ortiz’s perspective reveals that his concern for the purchase of Bitcoin is not an isolated event, but part of a complaint about the political course of the country. The deputy directly connected this economic policy with the recent reforms to the Constitution, approved by the Legislative Assembly of an officialist majority, which now authorize the indefinite presidential re -election, a fact previously reported by cryptootics.
For Ortiz, both themes reflect the erosion of democratic counterweights. “This change is serious because they modified the rules of access and permanence in power without giving space to citizen participation,” he denounced. According to the parliamentarian, these reforms allow the same person to perpetuate themselves in the power “as many times as”, eliminating the ability of the population to remove rulers who do not fulfill their responsibilities.
Faced with this scenario, the deputy proposes An alternative reform agenda, focused on citizen well -being and institutional strengthening. “We need an economy that works for all, quality public education and health, and institutional reforms that give more power to citizens to monitor officials,” he explained.
As a concrete action to stop what considers abuse of power, Ortiz presented an appeal for unconstitutionality against reforms. Its position offers a key perspective that for the Salvadoran opposition, the government adoption of Bitcoin and constitutional changes are not achievements of modernization, but tools that consolidate a model of government with less accountability and an increasingly centralized power.
Criticism and Defense to Bukele’s plans with Bitcoin
Ortiz’s statements resonate with special force, since they coincide with reports from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). According to the international agency, Bitcoin’s movements of the country are not new purchases for its national reserve, but a reorganization of assets between portfolios. This has generated debate about the transparency of the activity with BTC in the Bitcoiner community.
However, while a sector questions the lack of clarity of the government, others, as a resident of the Bitcoin City initiative (a city project promoted by Bitcoin and geothermal energy), support Bukele’s plans to integrate Bitcoin into the economy.
Meanwhile, other government projects, such as the proposal to reverse the prohibition of metal mining to exploit an alleged gold deposit, face opposition. Deputy Ortiz points directly to President Bukele’s proposal to exploit what he calls “a gigantic treasure under our feet.” This is a site that, according to Bukele, could contain up to 50 million ounces of gold. To achieve this, the government would need reverse the 2017 law that prohibits metal mininga legislation approved precisely because it is considered a serious environmental and social threat.
Ortiz firmly opposes this plan, aligning with the warnings of environmentalists and experts. Gold mining on a large scale, they argue, would represent a catastrophe for a country with water stress such as El Salvador. He added that extraction would not only consume huge amounts of water, but would imply the use of cyanide and other toxic chemicals, with a very high risk of contaminating rivers and groundwater sources, devastating ecosystems and endangering public health.
After all, the debate on Bitcoin and political reforms puts El Salvador at the Center for the Attention of Bitcoiners, while the opposition seeks to stop what he considers a governance model with less accountability.
