Emerging as one of the biggest bitcoin supporters out there, Ricardo Salinas made the pilgrimage to El Salvador. The billionaire took journalists Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert on a private plane to the first country to adopt bitcoin as legal tender. There, he met with President Bukele, Binance’s CEO Changpeng Zhao, and Samson Mow among others. And, luckily for us, Salinas documented the whole thing via Twitter.
Related Reading | Since Bitcoin, Tourism Is Up By 30% In El Salvador. How Did The Media React?
What can we learn about Mexico’s third-richest person’s visit to El Salvador?
Ricardo Salinas Trapped With Max Keiser
In the report’s first video we see Salinas joking in English while Keiser shows him a copy of “The Book of Max.” Notice how a full camera crew passes them by. This trip was completely documented.
.@RicardoBSalinas loves “The Book of Max” https://t.co/oaDmKMwtu8 pic.twitter.com/N4Eeddnlq6
— MAX (@maxkeiser) March 24, 2022
Then, Keiser reports that during the flight Ricardo Salinas “outlined dozens of ways El Salvador’s new Bitcoin securities laws (working through the assembly now) can be used to make El Salvador a global financial hub and dramatically expand El Salvador’s GDP. His facility with business and finance is incredible.” These visits of capital and ideas will ultimately benefit Salvadorans.
I’m a natural businessman… always looking for inclusive prosperity and freedom https://t.co/EEFJcxbOCn
— Ricardo Salinas Pliego (@RicardoBSalinas) March 25, 2022
To Max’s praise, the billionaire responded, “I’m a natural businessman… always looking for inclusive prosperity and freedom.” But praise didn’t end there, the Presidency’s Communications Secretariat welcomed him saying. “Mexican businessman Ricardo Salinas, Founder and President of Grupo Salinas, has arrived. He’s visiting El Salvador to learn about the possibilities offered by Bitcoin in a country where it is legal tender.”
Muchas gracias por tan amable recibimiento, es para mi un placer visitar su país y seguir aprendiendo sobre el uso del #Bitcoin como moneda legal, ante todo y después de todo… la libertad https://t.co/oyVcDpL1aW
— Ricardo Salinas Pliego (@RicardoBSalinas) March 24, 2022
To the Secretariat’s praise, the billionaire responded, “thank you very much for the kind welcome. It’s a pleasure for me to visit your country and continue learning about Bitcoin’s use as legal tender.”
El Salvador’s Reception
When the party arrives, El Salvador’s Ambassador to the United States Milena Mayorga is waiting for them. She’s had quite a week, having received Binance’s CEO Changpeng Zhao as well.
Muy amable la embajadadora @MilenaMayorga quien nos recibe a nombre del presidente @nayibbukele.
Vienen @stacyherbert y @realmaxkeiser con nosotros a ver que hacen en El Salvador con #Bitcoin https://t.co/fgqWykf1ao
— Ricardo Salinas Pliego (@RicardoBSalinas) March 24, 2022
Podcaster Stacy Herbert also posted a professional-looking video of the party’s arrival. Max Keiser shares a few words of wisdom in the end:
“We are at an historic inflection point. For fiat money. And #Bitcoin” – @maxkeiser
San Salvador, 24 March 2022 on the tarmac with the arrival of @RicardoBSalinas
— Stacy Herbert (@stacyherbert) March 25, 2022
President Bukele Meets Ricardo Salinas
The billionaire posted pictures of the meeting and reported. “Today, I was received at the presidential house by the President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele. I brought him “El primer mapa de Mexico” and a balero and I received from him a Bitcoin in physical form.”
El día de hoy, me recibió en la casa presidencial El Presidente de El Salvador @nayibbukele, le lleve a regalar “El primer mapa de Mexico” y un balero y recibí de su parte un #Bitcoin en moneda. Muchas gracias Presidente por su tiempo y por el grato recibimiento. Es un gusto!!! pic.twitter.com/E1BE6S7sAY
— Ricardo Salinas Pliego (@RicardoBSalinas) March 25, 2022
Then, the President himself provided Twitter with another set of photos. Ricardo Salinas went deep in the answer, “I am sure that only with freedom we can evolve as a civilization and I am sure that Bitcoin is the currency of freedom.”
Ha sido un gusto conocerlo Presidente, de nuevo muchas gracias por recibirnos hoy en El Salvador, estoy seguro que solamente con libertad podremos evolucionar como civilización y estoy seguro que el #Bitcoin es la moneda de la libertad, abrazo y nos vemos pronto, gracias!!! https://t.co/ZyZHQcIAyy
— Ricardo Salinas Pliego (@RicardoBSalinas) March 25, 2022
No word yet on what the meeting was about.
BTC price chart for 03/26/2022 on Forex.com | Source: BTC/USD on TradingView.com
Ricardo Salinas Visits The Volcano Mine
Then, it’s Samson Mow time. The ex Blockstream shared a picture of them both inside a helicopter, about to visit the bitcoin volcano mine. Ricardo Salinas also went deep in the reply, “We continue working in El Salvador, because if we don’t try to solve it, no one is going to come to get us out of where we are.”
Seguimos trabajando en El Salvador, porque si no le buscamos nosotros, no va a venir nadie a sacarnos de donde estamos.
Tengo 66 años, 12.9 miles de millones USD (dicen ) y todos los días me despierto a trabajar como si no tuviera un peso, así que a darle. https://t.co/Zy2EIcOjZ7
— Ricardo Salinas Pliego (@RicardoBSalinas) March 24, 2022
Then, Salinas shared an aerial view of the whole geo plant. It’s quite the operation:
Sobre volamos la planta @LaGeoSV en El Salvador y bajamos a visitarla y conocer… muchas oportunidades que aprovechar y muchas lecciones que aprender #Bitcoin pic.twitter.com/8ZZRbOVRuN
— Ricardo Salinas Pliego (@RicardoBSalinas) March 25, 2022
Not to be left behind, Max Keiser shared a video of him and Samson Mow arriving at the plant.
.@Excellion – architect of El Salvador’s ‘Volcano Bonds’ arriving at geo-thermal facility with @maxkeiser
These bonds are over subscribed as the world scrambles for #Bitcoin now that the $USD has lost its status as world reserve currency post conflict. pic.twitter.com/xDQlF6FYSN
— MAX (@maxkeiser) March 25, 2022
The journalist takes the opportunity to praise the volcano bonds. “These bonds are over subscribed as the world scrambles for Bitcoin now that the USD has lost its status as world reserve currency post Russia/ Ukraine conflict.”
Lunch With Changpeng Zhao
All of these billionaires visiting El Salvador. Probably nothing. Binance’s CEO and Ricardo Salinas did meet and here’s photographic proof:
La última foto del día, acompañado de puro personaje @Excellion, @cz_binance y mi hijo Hugo Salinas… también les dejo una de una hermosa vista acá en El Salvador.
Ahora si a descansar pic.twitter.com/OK2svSdakP
— Ricardo Salinas Pliego (@RicardoBSalinas) March 25, 2022
Related Reading | Wholeheartedly Agreeing With The Telegraph’s Latest Attack On BTC In El Salvador
Of course, there was controversy. A Salvadoran politician named Anabel Belloso accused the Government of paying for fancy dinners and private flights. Ricardo Salinas responded by highlighting his company’s logo and the Mexican flag in his plane. And shared a picture of a dinner in which were present all of this post’s protagonists except the President.
Ah y le dejo mi foto de la comida, nada de lujo pic.twitter.com/1YgCGiBEbh
— Ricardo Salinas Pliego (@RicardoBSalinas) March 26, 2022
Which doesn’t mean that the Government didn’t spend public funds during those visits. However, receiving two potential billion-dollar investors is good business everywhere in the world. Plus, it’s a good sign.
Featured Image: Ricardo Salinas, screenshot from this video | Charts by TradingView
