The renewal process of San Salvador’s Historic Center has become an engine of economic development, investment, and job creation. Under President Nayib Bukele’s administration, this area of the capital has overcome decades of neglect to consolidate itself as a cultural, tourist, and commercial landmark that drives local economic activity.

In this context, the Ministry of Culture, along with the Ministerio de Turismo, Corsatur (the San Salvador Tourism Corporation), and the Autoridad de Planificación del Centro Histórico inaugurated the exhibition “Historic Center: From Invisibility and oblivion to resurgence.” The exhibition reflects, through art, the positive impact that urban renewal has had on the area’s economy and on attracting new investments.
During the inauguration, minister of Culture Raúl Castillo emphasized that the impetus for this transformation stemmed from President Bukele’s vision when he was mayor of San Salvador, when he committed to revitalizing a space that today generates jobs, tourism, and business opportunities.
“Since he believed in this historic center, it began to thrive again. Today we see businesses, visitors, and investments arriving in this area that was once abandoned”, the official said.

The exhibition is located on the seventh floor of the Biblioteca Nacional de El Salvador (BINAES) and is open to the public. Photographs, audiovisual pieces, and historical materials are on display in the same space, narrating the rebirth of the historic center, now transformed into a cultural and economic hub that attracts thousands of national and international visitors.
Castillo noted that BINAES alone has registered more than 4.4 million users, a figure that also reflects the growing flow of people to the heart of the capital, driven by a safe, clean, and modern environment.
“When a president puts the people first, the results are reflected in urban development and the well-being of the people”, he said.
The exhibition demonstrates how public policies implemented in recent years have fostered economic reactivation, private investment, and tourism, consolidating the Historic Center as a strategic space for the urban and business development of San Salvador.
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