China’s President Xi Jinping will not attend, and has appointed as presidential delegate his Minister of Culture and Tourism, Sun Yeli
The King of Spain, Philip VI and presidents of Latin America have confirmed their arrival in El Salvador for the inauguration of Nayib Bukele, an event that will take place on June 1 at the Historic Center of San Salvador.
In a statement the Spanish Royal House reported that this Saturday the monarch will travel to El Salvador on the occasion of the protocol acts of investiture.
“D on Felipe will travel to San Salvador to attend the Taking of the Possession of President-elect Nayib Bukele, who on June 1, 2019 became the 46th President of the Republic, succeeding Salvador Sánchez Cerén for a five-year term and becoming, at 37, the youngest president-elect. The president won a second term after securing a majority in the elections on Sunday, February 4, 2024,” reads the letter.
This is the first trip his magestad makes to El Salvador since he was appointed to office, his last arrival was in 2014 as prince when he was in the country for the succession of Salvador Sánchez Cerén.
Another of the presidents who has confirmed his attendance is the president of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, as confirmed by the Paraguayan Foreign Minister, Rubén Ramírez at a press conference.
“(…) May 31 we are leaving for El Salvador, for San Salvador, for the inauguration of President Bukele,” he said.
The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, will also arrive from South America, as confirmed on Monday by the spokesman of the government, Manuel Adorni.
According to the government communication, Milei is scheduled to arrive in the country on May 31 at 3 p.m., coming from the United States, where this week he meets with entrepreneurs in the technology sector.
Milei’s arrival at the inauguration was one of the first to be known last week. Last February, both leaders participated in the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), considered the most important conservative conference in the United States, attended by activists and elected officials from other countries. El Salvador’s presidency has also released details of talks that both presidents have held in previous months.
China, Guatemala and the Diminican Republic send delegate
On Tuesday, China’s foreign ministry announced the arrival in the country of Sun Yeli, Minister of Culture and Tourism, as special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Xi and Bukele have maintained a close political bond since 2019 when the Salvadoran president, in his first term, visited the Asian country with a diplomatic agenda that lasted 6 six and led to “a gigantic non-refundable cooperation” for El Salvador, according to the official communication.
Another president who will not attend, but has appointed a delegate, is the Dominican Republic. President Luis Abinader has delegated to the Minister of the Presidency, Joel Santos Echavarría, to head his country’s delegation.
A statement was reported that this decision underlines the Government ' s interest in maintaining and strengthening bilateral relations between the Dominican Republic and El Salvador, as well as the commitment of both countries to regional cooperation and mutual development.
“Minister Santos Echavarría will carry with him the best wishes of President Abinader and the Dominican people for President Bukele and for the Salvadoran people in this important event,” reads the writing.
Bernardo Arevalo of Guatemala also delegated his foreign minister, Carlos Ramiro Martínez, to attend the inauguration of Bukele, according to a local media report.
Foreign Minister Martinez said Arevalo will travel this weekend to the United States where he will meet with the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres.
From Honduras there is no official confirmation of the arrival of President Xiomara Castro. Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina told the newspaper El Heraldo that this is being defined.”
The president has been incapacitated and is expected “to be fully recovered from health, but it is very possible that she will (assist),” she said.
This article has been translated after first appearing in El Salvador