The 46th president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, often mentions God in his speeches even though he has clearly mentioned that he is not a religious person at all. Though it seems contradictory, for Nayib, it’s his strong faith that ‘God does not reject anyone because of their origins.’
Over the years, Nayib Bukele has been pretty open regarding his religious views. On January 8, 2019, he shared his perspective on religion by posting a lengthy post on his Facebook and writing, “I AM NOT A RELIGIOUS PERSON. I respect all religions and those who wish to believe in them.”
He further stated that Salvation is individual; that’s why he accepted Jesus Christ, and whenever he feels confused, he prays to the god of the Israelites, Yahweh. Well, this particular statement of Nayib Bukele clearly displays that he is not stuck to one religion and their prescribed god but finds joy in all.
On February 9, 2024, while addressing his people, President Nayib discussed religious pluralism and said that ‘we respect all religions, atheists and agnostics.’
El Salvador president Nayib Bukele comes from a mixed-religious household
Though Nayib Bukele is the president of El Salvadore, he has been pretty vocal about his Palestinian ancestry. His Paternal grandparents, who were Palestinian Christians, emigrated to El Salvador in 1921.
In that case, Nayib’s father, Armando Bukele Kattán, grew up as a Christian, but in the 1980s, he converted to Islam and became an Imam. Further, Nayib’s mother, Olga Marina Ortez, was raised in a Catholic household, and she married a Christian-turned-Muslim man.
So, Nayib grew up in a mixed-religious household. Due to that, he appears to have internalized the essence of god since he was a child, and probably that’s the reason why he believes in secularism.
And now he is married to a woman with Sephardic Jewish ancestry, Gabriela RodrÃguez de Bukele. With such a background, it won’t be unjustifiable to say that the El Salvador president Nayib is a ‘man with a words.’
Additional Information
- Nayib Bukele was born in San Salvador on July 24, 1981, to his parents Armando Bukele Kattán and Olga Marina Ortez.
- Though Nayib is non-religious, he didn’t hesitate to recite the Quran to honor his father when he passed away back in 2015.
- Nayib’s wife, Gabriella, is a Salvadoran educator and prenatal psychologist. They have two children together.
