American president Donald Trump welcomed the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, at the White House on April 14, with talks on trade and immigration, excluding Bitcoin on the agenda.
The problems of migration and bilateral cooperation set the tone for the first official Bukele meeting at the White House during Trump’s second term.
According to a livestream shared by the Bukele office on X, Trump has raised the possibility of transferring American citizens that are found guilty of crimes to prisons in Salvador, urging Bukele to extend the country’s penitentiary system to host more prisoners. “I said that the inhabitants are the next, the inhabitants. You have to build about five more places. ”
Source: Nayib Bukele
Since its entry into office, the Trump administration has expelled hundreds of foreign criminal people presumed in Salvador in less than an agreement of $ 6 million between countries.
Trump also discussed the current trade war launched by its administration on April 2, suggesting a potential temporary exemption for car manufacturers aimed at softening the transition of their supply chains.
“I look at something to help some of the car manufacturers with it,” Trump told journalists present in Reunion, adding that the American automotive industry “needs[s] A little time ”to move production in the country.
The meeting did not address digital assets and Bitcoin (BTC) policy – a flagship initiative of the two administrations of the presidents.
El Salvador adopted Bitcoin as a legal tender in 2021, a pioneer of the Bitcoin strategic reserve, followed by Trump later.
The American president positioned himself as a pro-Crypto candidate in the 2024 elections. On March 6, Trump signed a decree to create a Bitcoin strategic reserve and a stock of digital assets in the United States.
The United States holds nearly 198,000 BTCs, valued at more than $ 17 billion in March. The reserve is mainly formed of Bitcoin seized in criminal and civil affairs, including large quantities of the affairs of the Silk Road and Bitfinex hacking.
Related: How many bitcoin does the United States hold and where does it come from?
El Salvador’s BTC plans face the IMF opposition
El Salvador signed in December a loan agreement of $ 1.4 billion with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which included commitments to relax Bitcoin initiatives and reduce public sector participation with digital assets.
While the Salvadio Congress modified its Bitcoin laws in January to comply with the agreement, the government continued its daily BTC purchases. The Tracker of the country’s National Bitcoin Office shows that it currently contains 6,147.18 BTC, worth around 520.7 million dollars to date.
In relation: Tether will move HQ to Salvador after obtaining a license
