Property-registry investigation finds El Salvador's finance minister and five other Bukele officials expanded real estate holdings by more than $2.1 million after taking office
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What happened
A June 2025 investigation by Gato Encerrado, based on records from El Salvador's National Registry Center (CNR), found that six current or former Bukele-government officials increased their real estate holdings by more than $2.1 million after joining the administration. Finance Minister Jerson Posada declared $212,500 in real estate and $68,000 in debt when he became vice minister in 2020; the outlet reports he bought a Santa Tecla apartment for $260,000 in September 2021 and another for $147,574 in June 2022, both with mortgages. It also reports, from leaked social-security data through June 2024, that he earned $10,000 a month as minister against a budgeted $3,345. Presidential uncle and Commerce and Investment Secretary Jorge Kattan declared no real estate in 2019 and has since acquired more than $800,000 in property, per the report. Posada, Kattan and the presidential press office did not respond; former innovation official Vladimir Handal replied that the properties are mortgaged and the information is public. The report does not allege a specific crime.
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