Majority of Salvadorans approve of Bukele's leadership, poll shows

FILE PHOTO: An animation showing El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele is displayed on a large screen at the closing party of the “Bitcoin Week” where he announced the plan to build the first "Bitcoin City" in the world, in Teotepeque, El Salvador November 20, 2021. REUTERS/Jose Cabezas/File Photo

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - A strong majority of Salvadorans approve of President Nayib Bukele's government despite controversies over his policies and U.S. sanctions on his cabinet, according to a poll by the investigative unit of local newspaper La Prensa published Wednesday.

The findings showed that 85.1% of those surveyed either highly approve or somewhat approve of Bukele, 40, despite some skepticism of his move to make El Salvador the first country in the world to adopt bitcoin as legal currency. He has also largely brushed off accusations from the United States and rights groups of power grabs aimed at weakening democratic institutions.