Bukele fires more than 300 public employees “incompatible” with his government

The president of The SaviorNayib Bukele, announced on Thursday the dismissal of more than 300 employees of the Ministry of Culture for promoting “agendas” incompatible with the vision of their government, related according to related officials and activists critical of the gender approach.

“They promote agendas that are not compatible with the vision of this government. Plus, we’ll save public funds in the process“, the president wrote on social network X.

Bukele did not mention what “agendas” either “vision“He was referring to it, but last week he appointed former teacher Raúl Castillo as Minister of Culture to look after the “values” of the Salvadoran family.

“As I promised when you appointed me to this position, my commitment is to the protection and promotion of our values, our culture and the arts. Therefore, the restructuring of the Ministry of Culture cannot be postponed.“Castillo said in X.

“The anti-values ​​agenda has come up against a huge wall. The officials of President @nayibbukele’s government are very clear about the mandate to protect life, faith and family.“said El Salvador’s ambassador to the United States, Milena Mayorga, in X.

The official deputy Alexia Rivas assured, for her part, that “El Salvador is pro-life, pro-traditional family, and the 2030 agenda has no place”, referring to a list of UN development goals, which includes gender equality and anti-discrimination provisions.

Bukele’s announcement occurs ten days after the Ministry of Culture announced that it canceled the presentation of the drag play “Immoral” at the National Theater, from the LGTBI+ Inari project, because on its first and only day of staging it showed “content not suitable for Salvadoran families”.

Marvin Pleitez, whose stage name is LadyDrag, had denounced in X these days the dismissal of thirty Culture employees who were held responsible because the play had initially been authorized at the National Theater.

“Ultra-conservative” turn

On June 1, upon assuming another five years of government, Bukele asked Salvadorans to take without complaint the “bitter medicine“which he said he will prescribe in his second term to improve, among other things, the economy and other problems, after cornering the gangs.

“The people chose a path and we are going to take that path. bitter medicine“added the Salvadoran president in his message this Thursday.

The mass dismissalIt is a wrong policy”, because it leaves many people unemployed and is not tolerated “freedom of expression“in cultural aspects, warned the coordinator of the NGO Human Rights Commission, Miguel Montenegro.

Aranza Santos, from the Alejandría LGTBIQ+ Collective, said that this measure is a “attack more” against the rights of their community.

“He is doing it to please the ultraconservatives who are pressuring him“Santos told AFP. “This was to be expected, it is a continuation of the attacks we have already received and we must prepare for more.”he added.

In February, the Ministry of Education announced that it had withdrawn “every trace“the gender perspective of school programs, a decision that was criticized by human rights organizations but applauded by conservative groups.

That decision was announced days after Bukele, re-elected with an overwhelming 85% of votes in the February 4 elections, participated in a conservative meeting in the United States.

The measure was welcomed by conservative groups, but criticized by feminist and human rights entities, which denounce cases of “attacks” and “discrimination” to people from the LGTBIQ+ community.