Salvador San Salvador - El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said he was pushing for a "foreign agent" bill, which critics say will deal another blow to civil society and independent news organizations as the popular president strengthens his control for three years to suppress the gangsters.

Although Buckler announced details of the proposal Tuesday night, the president wrote on X that the bill would include a 30% tax on donations to NGOs, some of which have long criticized his administration for claiming their actions were undemocratic. Because Buckley's party is firm in controlling the country's Congress, he may face few obstacles in making up for legislation.

It is similar to a similar proposal advocated by Bukele in 2021, which collapsed under the weight of international criticism. But critics say the El Salvador leader (worshipped by American right-wing figures) has been braved by his recent political alliance with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Juan Pappier, director of the American Human Rights Watch, warned that it complies with measures by the authoritarian government to pass laws in Nicaragua, Venezuela, Russia, Belarus and China, which violates objections.

"Through foreign actor legislation, it is a classic move in the script of a dictatorial drama. It has no creativity or innovation in that," Pappier said. "It is a way to stigmatize organizations that have obtained foreign funding and restrict their work."

Since the massive social protests in 2018, in nearby Nicaragua, the government has closed or banned at least 3,500 NGOs. These include the Reconnaissance Association and the Rotary Club.

The police responded violently, and the police detained at least two people after hundreds of people peacefully protesting the eviction order in front of the Buckler house. The leader quickly attributed the blame to civil society groups and announced the measure on his social media.

"Yesterday, we witnessed the humility of modest people who call themselves left-wing groups and globalist NGOs whose only real goal is to attack the government," he wrote.

Bukele cited these funds as evidence of corruption and prejudice against him, but in poorer countries in Latin America, money on international aid is common, as it is often difficult to raise funds in their own countries.

Buckler's 2021 proposal will require groups that receive currency support from abroad to register as "foreign agents", which will severely limit its activities. The year after the Biden administration and the EU caught the attention of the measure, the measure failed in Congress, with the German embassy threatening to withdraw funds from the country's humanitarian plan.

Pappier said that since Bukele further consolidated the power of all branches of the administration, he felt "bold" by his alliance with Trump to eliminate dissent.

Buckler has long been in conflict with human rights groups for criticizing his severe crackdown on the country’s gang, where he suspended major constitutional rights and arrested more than 85,000 for suspected gang tie. He repeatedly accused human rights groups of defending gangs.

Security has improved dramatically, and despite the constitution prohibiting consecutive terms, Berkle easily won reelection last year.

Human rights groups have re-criticized Buckley's administration, even though there is little or no evidence that they belong to what the Trump administration calls a gang.

The measure stems from many government actions in recent weeks, which has raised alarm from oversight groups.

"El Salvador entered a country that suppressed civil society to maintain power, without criticism, no doubt, no social scrutiny of the exercise of power," said Ingrid Escobar, attorney and head of rights organization Socorro Juridico.

Earlier this month, Bukele ordered the arrest of five bus companies' heads for violating orders to provide free weekly transportation a week after closing the Avenue Expressway.

The same week, investigative news agency El Faro said the government is preparing an arrest warrant for journalists after the group published a series of stories about Bukele’s alleged gang connections. No arrests.

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Janetsky reported from Mexico City.