Brock Pierce recounts El Salvador visit on behalf of the industry; community responds with criticism

Veteran of the Bitcoin industry and billionaire Brock Pierce said he led the “official delegation of Bitcoin ambassadors” to El Salvador. The tweet drew criticism from representatives of the cryptocurrency community.

Very honored to lead this official delegation of Bitcoin ambassadors to El Salvador to educate the government about how Bitcoin, Blockchain and technology can create a brighter future for everyone in their nation.@MilenaMayorga @nayibbukele #Bitcoin pic.twitter.com/weIFGyTbPy

— Brock Pierce (@brockpierce) June 16, 2021

“It is a great honour to lead this official delegation of Bitcoin ambassadors to El Salvador, to tell the government how Bitcoin, blockchain and technology can create a bright future for the country,” wrote Pierce.

Some Twitter users reacted negatively. One asked who had bestowed the billionaire with such status.

Who elected YOU (of all people) to represent bitcoin? Are there transcripts to this meeting.

— DJ Booth (@djbooth007) June 17, 2021

Pierce later acknowledged that the word “official” was a poor choice.

Sounds like it was a poor choice of words due to the reaction of some. All love. All good.

— Brock Pierce (@brockpierce) June 17, 2021

He also stressed that all members of the community can be “evangelists, advocates and ambassadors”.

Of course we can all be evangelists, advocates and ambassadors. Much respect and credit to those such as Mike, Miles, Jack, and the many others who came before us. We stand on the shoulders of giants. All for all!

— Brock Pierce (@brockpierce) June 17, 2021

On June 18, Pierce posted screenshots of the front page and an article in the Spanish-language newspaper Noticia. The cover features photographs of the billionaire himself and the Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele.

The visit to El Salvador by the delegation has made world wide news.
We’re making history. pic.twitter.com/VpkAA0ac3E

— Brock Pierce (@brockpierce) June 17, 2021

“The visit of the delegation to El Salvador has made world news. We are making history,” wrote Pierce.

According to the Noticia newspaper’s archives on the site, issues featuring the billionaire on the cover did not exist. On a similar front page, where the dates and other materials coincide, a doctor vaccinating a boy is pictured. Twitter users noticed this as well.

Ops. Nice Photoshop. pic.twitter.com/H2cpmW8coQ

— Nakadai.王🟩🇸🇻🔱🦁🛡️🌋📿 (@Nakadai_mon) June 18, 2021

In July 2020, Pierce announced his bid for the US presidency as an independent candidate. During a campaign event in New York, he received documents related to a securities-fraud case with securities.

On June 9, 2021, El Salvador’s authorities recognised the first cryptocurrency as an official means of payment in the country, on a par with the US dollar.

Local remittance services were cool to Bitcoin support — only a small number integrated the support for the digital gold.

According to JPMorgan analysts, the authorities’ decision regarding Bitcoin could threaten relations with IMF, on which the country’s economy depends.

ForkLog’s experts have come to the view that adopting cryptocurrency could equally stimulate investment inflows into the country as well as capital outflows.

The Central American Bank for Economic Integration said it would support El Salvador in implementing Bitcoin and would create a technical group for this.

The World Bank refused to help the country, citing environmental and transparency concerns.