Trade fairs, product announcements, offers in stores and markets occupied the majority of the population, which is already preparing to say goodbye to 2023 and enter a 2024 full of economic and especially political challenges due to the elections, a scenario that represents an overwhelming victory The candidate of the New Ideas (NI) party, Nayib Bukele, announces for them.
This week, it caught the public's attention that after a turbulent November in which he made notable appearances such as the inauguration of the National Library (Binaes) and his appearance in the finals of Miss Universe 2023, the President has now disappeared from the public eye and the elections stages. To the surprise of the local population.
A few days ago, Bukele requested a leave of absence from his position as president in order to devote himself to the election campaign with the aim of a second term in office in the 2024 presidential elections, which is likely given his high popularity among the population.
For several days, Salvadorans have been missing his frequent appearances and wondering: Where is Bukele?
On the other hand, security and the economy remained the main issues in the country.
The connection between both aspects was highlighted by experts such as Carlos Acevedo, economist and former president of the Central Bank (BCR) in governments of the National Liberation Front Farabundo Martí, who praised the business environment created in the country, which, in his opinion, favored the “right approach to breaking up gangs.”
Current authorities are committed to working to halt the economy's decline, which will be closer to pre-pandemic growth rates at 2 percent, a Citi Research report said.
Other aspects that made headlines included the fourth consecutive reduction in fuel prices and the support of neighboring countries such as Honduras and Guatemala in the capture of key gang members, including the 12th member of the Ranfla Nacional.
Likewise, reports were broadcast about the impact of the strikes and protests in Guatemala and Panama on the Salvadoran economy, which had a negative impact on the country's imports and exports, at a time when 65 percent of the population said in a survey that the Bad economy is your main concern today.
Also attracting interest was a report from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), which predicted an improvement in the economic growth forecast to 2.3 percent in 2023, two tenths higher than a September report.
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