Despite environmental laws, El Salvador’s president acquires land in a marine sanctuary—raising alarms over power, privilege, and protected lands.
The property acquired by the Salvadoran president is located within a marine park with international environmental protection status.
Information published by El País, based on a joint investigation by Redacción Regional, Dromómanos, and MalaYerba, reveals that Nayib Bukele, President of El Salvador, purchased nearly 14,000 square meters of land in El Flor beach, in the western part of the country, in September 2024.
The transaction was carried out through a company founded jointly with his wife, Gabriela Rodríguez.
The property is located within the protected natural area Complejo Los Cóbanos, recognized as a Ramsar site, and contains the country’s main coral reef. Additionally, Salvadoran law states that beaches are national assets and for public use.
“All the beaches of the country are national assets and belong to all residents,” states the Salvadoran Civil Code, as cited in the investigation.
The land is located on El Flor beach, in the department of Sonsonate. According to official maps, part of that land lies within the Complejo Los Cóbanos marine park. The rest is considered a buffer zone, which means that by law, only activities compatible with environmental protection can take place.
The area is home to sea turtles, migratory birds, and whales—species promoted as tourist attractions by the Salvadoran government itself.
During Bukele’s first term (2019–2024), the General Law on Water Resources was passed. This law prohibits the privatization of water, including beaches, lakes, and lagoons. Furthermore, any construction in protected areas requires authorization from the Ministry of the Environment and local municipal authorities.
So far, there are no public records of construction permits for this property.
The sale contract is dated September 23, 2024. Bukele signed as legal representative of the company Bu-Ro, S.A. de C.V., while the seller was Corpodesa, represented by José Óscar Castro Araujo Sánchez.
The property was originally purchased by the company in 2021 for $850,000 and sold to Bukele for $1 million.
The president’s property is enclosed by a perimeter wall and borders a Marist retreat and the land of a shrimp-farming businessman of Chinese origin.
The land in El Flor is one of the president’s most recent acquisitions. According to the report, other purchases include:
- Hacienda Dorada, where his coffee brand Bean of Fire is grown, acquired for $1.64 million.
- A building in downtown San Salvador, bought by the company Lagencia, owned by his brothers, for $1.3 million.
- Ruth López, head of Anti-Corruption and Justice at the NGO Cristosal, noted that while there are no legal restrictions preventing Bukele from purchasing property, potential conflicts of interest exist due to institutional dynamics:
“All permits are subject to individuals who are formally and materially dependent on him,” she said.
As of now, neither the Ministry of the Environment—led by a childhood friend of Bukele—nor the Sonsonate City Council—governed by the ruling party Nuevas Ideas—has made any statements on the matter.
