El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, has announced the issue of 5,000 free passports for $5 billion. According to reports, highly competent workers will receive complimentary passports. This $5 billion plan inside the country’s passport program seeks to recruit international scientists, engineers, medics, artists, and philosophers.
According to Bukele, this will account for less than 0.1 percent of the country’s population. Furthermore, because there are so few of them, providing them full citizenship, including voting rights, will be simple logistically. He also promised to facilitate their migration by providing zero taxes and tariffs on the transfer of families and assets, including important items such as equipment, software, and intellectual property.
Despite the small numerical scale, Bukele emphasized the significant impact these individuals may have on society and the nation’s destiny. Although few in number, these experts will have a significant impact on their community. Furthermore, El Salvador has committed to exempting beneficiaries of this passport project from taxes and tariffs during the migration process, establishing an atmosphere suitable to their integration and contribution.
El Salvador is remarkable for being Central America’s smallest country, having a population of less than 10 million. Its major city is San Salvador, and it borders Guatemala and Honduras, as well as a long Pacific Ocean coastline.
Known as the ‘Land of Volcanoes’ due to its frequent volcanic activity, the country has also faced issues in terms of gang violence. According to statistics, El Salvador had more than 1,000 fatalities in both 2021 and 2020, with the toll exceeding 2,000 in 2019.
Addressing this issue, Bukele’s administration declared a state of emergency to battle crime gangs, which, according to records, has resulted in a considerable decrease in violent events. Despite historically high crime rates, El Salvador is aiming toward a more secure future under Bukele’s leadership.