LatinNews Daily - 11 July 2024

*El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has announced that the agriculture ministry (MAG) will be rolling out mobile markets which will provide goods such as tomatoes, onions, potatoes, lettuce, and other vegetables at lower prices. His announcement follows actions launched on 8 July by the government’s consumer protection agency to identify and prevent abusive pricing practices regarding basic goods. On 6 July in a national address, Bukele suggested he may apply tactics he has applied to gangs (who have been targeted in a state of exception since March 2022) to wholesalers, importers, and distributors who he blames for high prices. He said he was going to “issue a call, like we did to the gangs at the start of 2019,” (the year he was first elected). He said: “we told them either stop killing people, or don’t complain about what happens afterward… Well, I’m going to issue a message to the importers, distributors and food wholesalers: stop abusing the people of El Salvador, or don’t complain about what happens afterward.” Upon taking office for a second (unconstitutional) term on 1 June, President Bukele pledged to tackle the economy which has emerged as the chief public concern. A survey by local think tank Fundaungo published on 14 May found that 75.1% of respondents cited the economy as the biggest challenge facing the country, up from 28.9% at the end of 2021. Almost half of respondents said that the government should control the price of the basic basket of goods, create more jobs or boost salaries.