National Library of El Salvador

The National Library of El Salvador (Biblioteca Nacional de El Salvador, abbreviated BINAES) is a national library located in San Salvador, the capital city of El Salvador. The library was opened in November 2023 and stands on the former site of the Francisco Gavidia National Library. It was built with the cooperation of China.

History


In December 2019, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announced the construction of a new national library, known as simply the National Library of El Salvador, in San Salvador following an international trip to China where Bukele met with Xi Jinping, the leader of China. The library's construction was projected to cost at least US$54 million and would be built with Chinese cooperation. On 4 October 2021, the Salvadoran government began demolition of the Francisco Gavidia National Library, which the new national library would replace. The Francisco Gavidia National Library was originally built in 1870 during the presidency of Francisco Dueñas.

Construction on the National Library of El Salvador began on 3 February 2022. The library was opened on 14 November 2023 and Bukele posted a filmed tour of the library on his Twitter account; on the tour, he was accompanied by his brother and presidential advisor, Karim Bukele, and the vice minister of culture, Eric Doradeo. The tour displayed the library's facilities.