El Salvador’s President Bukele launches “Bean of Fire” coffee brand, supporting local businesses and encouraging expatriates to return and invest.
President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador has announced the launch of his own coffee brand, “Bean of Fire “. This initiative taps into El Salvador’s rich coffee heritage, known for producing some of the world’s finest shade-grown and low-acidity coffee.
Bukele’s Coffee Venture
“This has nothing to do with politics; it’s been my passion project this last year,” Bukele stated on social media. “Our only goal: making the best coffee in the world, 100% made in El Salvador.” The president’s venture aims to showcase the country’s high-quality coffee varieties on the global stage.
The initiative goes beyond mere commercial interests. Bean of Fire has implemented a program to donate 200 pounds of coffee, sugar, and 8,000 cups daily to Salvadoran businesses. This gesture aims to support local entrepreneurs and encourage Salvadorans living abroad to return and invest in their homeland.
One such example is Vista Hermosa, a café-turned-hostel in Suchitoto, founded by a Salvadoran woman who returned after living abroad. Bean of Fire has partnered with Vista Hermosa, offering free coffee to visitors and showcasing the potential for returning expatriates to establish successful businesses in a country where over 90% of coffee is grown on small farms of less than 20 hectares.
Supporting Local Businesses and Returnees
President Bukele has also made a personal offer to support returning Salvadorans. In response to a tweet from an Argentinian woman about her Salvadoran husband’s dream of returning to open a café, Bukele pledged, “Tell your husband that if he returns to El Salvador and opens his café, I will give him all the coffee he needs for a year (to give away and to sell).”
This initiative appears to be part of a broader strategy to incentivize diaspora Salvadorans to return home and contribute to the local economy, potentially revitalizing an industry that once accounted for over half of the country’s GDP. By leveraging his new coffee brand, Bukele is creating opportunities for business growth while promoting El Salvador’s coffee profile.
This positive business development comes in the wake of a recent hiccup. On Thursday, former U.S. President Donald Trump incorrectly accused Bukele of reducing El Salvador’s crime rate by… paraphrasing, “dumping his criminals” into the United States. Bukele, in a tweet, said he was taking the high road on Trump’s accusation before announcing his coffee initiative yesterday. (https://www.centralamerica.com/experiencing/drinking/el-salvador-president-coffee-brand-bean-of-fire/)
