Bitcoin utopia El Salvador isn’t homicide-free, despite claims

News has been spreading across X (formerly Twitter), claiming that zero homicides have been reported in El Salvador so far in 2024. This sounds like an incredible feat — unfortunately, it’s also completely untrue.

But, surprisingly, this time, it’s not the country’s controversial pro-Bitcoin president Nayib Bukele or his government that’s to blame for the outlandish claim. Rather, it appears to be down to poor reading skills on the part of a popular ‘anti-woke’ X account.

X account @EndWokeness claimed, “0 homicides in El Salvador this year so far. Until recently, El Salvador had the highest homicide rate on earth.”

It then added, “Incarceration works.”

0 homicides in El Salvador this year so far. Until recently, El Salvador had the highest homicide rate on earth.

Incarceration works. pic.twitter.com/3d8cF0ZgGK

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 28, 2024

The claim prompted numerous X users to voice their support for Bukele’s no-nonsense, tough-on-crime leadership style.

However, it turns out that official figures don’t back up the claims of a homicide-free 2024. Indeed, according to figures released by the Salvadoran National Police, there have been seven homicides reported in the country since the start of the year.

This is two fewer murders than the nine recorded in the same period last year. This rate could see El Salvador finish the year with 95 homicides or 1.5 per every 100,000 inhabitants.