Salvadoran police arrested and released warrantless Bitcoin detractor

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Salvadoran media outlet reported that a nationally critical computer and cryptocurrency expert accepting Bitcoin as legal tender was arrested by local police and detained for hours before being released.

According to several interviews conducted by La Prensa Grfica, police in San Salvador on Wednesday arrested computer scientist Mario Gmez without a warrant, seizing his phone and attempting to take possession of a computer from his mother Elena de Gomez. The National Civilian Police, or PNC, issued a statement saying Gmez’s detention was linked to a financial fraud investigation. Otto Flores, Gmez’s lawyer, said authorities released Gmez later that afternoon.

“[Mario] participates a lot in forums, events, on social networks and is critical of the government, “said his mother.” If we see that the country is backing down, we must speak out because it is a human right to express our opinions.

Gmez regularly posted on social media its opposition to legislation to make Bitcoin (BTC) legal tender in El Salvador on September 7. His Twitter posts include allegations that people behind the Chivo government’s Bitcoin wallet may be associated with the same BTC address. associated with the massive Twitter hack in July 2020. He also made No Al Bitcoin (No To Bitcoin) stickers available to his thousands of followers.

Social service. For those who want to print #NoAlBitcoin stickers, here are SVG vectors and high resolution images. The vector on the right is for vinyl cutting.

They send me a picture of where they stick them please.

Downloads https://t.co/jNrBlW33ox pic.twitter.com/693Esr42ri

– mxgxw. (@mxgxw_alpha) August 15, 2021

There have been at least two major protests in San Salvador since the country’s legislature passed a bill proposing that Bitcoin be accepted as legal tender alongside the US dollar. President Nayib Bukele initially announced that he would pursue such a law at the Bitcoin 2021 conference in June, but later added that Salvadorans would have the choice not to use the cryptocurrency.

Related: President of El Salvador Announces Infrastructure Is Already Under Construction Before Country Adoption of Bitcoin

Following the news of his arrest, Gmez subscribers launched a Twitter campaign for Free Mario. Steve Hanke, an economist at Johns Hopkins University, called the PNC’s decision an authoritarian police tactic in action. Anabel Belloso, a member of the country’s legislature, also hinted that authorities were trying to fabricate charges against Gmez.

Mario’s arrest portrays the government’s fragility in terms of implementing the Bitcoin law but confirms something even more dangerous, said Hctor Silva, city councilor at San Salvador City Hall. They are ready to manipulate all the institutions necessary to ward off critical voices.

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