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El Salvador's President Bukele Not Focused on 'Free Money' from the US

Cindy Saine

   SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR - El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele hailed
   a new chapter in his country's relationship with the United States,
   thanking Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for being the first top U.S.
   diplomat to visit his country in ten years.

   For his part, Secretary Pompeo praised Bukele's shift towards the
   United States.

   "El Salvador with its new leadership has made a clear choice to fight
   corruption, promote justice and partner with the United States, and
   together both of our peoples will reap those benefits."

   Pompeo also praised El Salvador for declaring it does not recognize
   what he termed "the corrupt Maduro regime" as the legitimate government
   of Venezuela.

   El Salvador's Bukele spoke in English and it was clear that he has a
   warm rapport with Pompeo.

   "We talk about fighting the gangs together, we talk about interdicting
   narcotics together, we talk about reducing immigration together. So I
   think this was a very, very important meeting. I think that it's a
   game-changer."

   Asked about the U.S. freezing its foreign aid for El Salvador, Honduras
   and Guatemala to compel their leaders to stem the flow of migration to
   the U.S. southern border, Bukele had a strong response.

   "What do we want to do in El Salvador? Do we want to get more free
   money? Do we want more blank checks? No. We want to improve the
   conditions at home."

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