El Salvador's president sworn in, ending 2-party dominance

Youthful businessman Nayib Bukele has assumed the presidency of El Salvador, ending more than a quarter century of two-party dominance in the crime-plagued Central America nation.

Dressed in a blue suit with no tie and accompanied by his wife Gabriela, the 37-year-old former mayor of San Salvador put his left hand on the Bible and swore to fulfill and enforce the laws of the country during his five-year term.

Thousands of Salvadorans in the Gerardo Barrios Plaza in the capital shouted: "Yes, it's possible! Yes, it's possible! Nayib president!"

El Salvador's incoming President Nayib Bukele, right center, and his wife Gabriela, arrive for his swearing-in ceremony in Plaza Barrios in San Salvador, El Salvador, Saturday, June 1, 2019. (AP PhotoSalvador Melendez)

El Salvador "has suffered greatly. It is a country that has had to rebuild; it has had earthquakes and corrupt governments and yet we continue move forward," Bukele said in his inaugural speech.

El Salvador's newly sworn-in President Nayib Bukele delivers his inaugural address in Plaza Barrios in San Salvador, El Salvador, Saturday, June 1, 2019. Pictured above Bukele are Supreme Court Chief Justice Oscar Armando Pineda, from left, outgoing President Salvador Sánchez Cerén, outgoing Vice President Oscar Ortiz, and lawmaker Guillermo Gallegos.(AP PhotoSalvador Melendez)

A woman holds up a poster that shows and image of El Salvador's newly sworn-in President Nayib Bukele during an inaugural ceremony in Plaza Barrios in San Salvador, El Salvador, Saturday, June 1, 2019. (AP PhotoSalvador Melendez)

Supporters of El Salvador's newly sworn-in President Nayib Bukele cheer during an inaugural ceremony in Plaza Barrios in San Salvador, El Salvador, Saturday, June 1, 2019. (AP PhotoSalvador Melendez)

FUJISAWA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 12, 2026--

“Blind Sailor Single-Handed Pacific Crossing Project 2027” is a world-first initiative in which Mitsuhiro Iwamoto, a completely blind Japanese yachtsman (blind sailor) based in San Diego, will attempt a solo, non-stop trans-Pacific crossing in the spring of 2027. Sailing a 28-foot yacht single-handedly, he aims to cross the Pacific Ocean from San Diego on the U.S. West Coast to Amakusa, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, without making port.
Iwamoto will speak about this project at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026, to be held in January 2026.
Project URL: https://hiros-choice.com/ 　

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260108087321/en/

The message he most wishes to convey at the WEF is the power of choice.
He lost his sight at the age of sixteen—a moment when he nearly gave up on life itself. Nevertheless, he chose to live. In 2013, he made his first attempt to cross the Pacific with a partner, but the voyage ended in failure after a collision with a whale. The incident drew intense public criticism and plunged him once again into deep despair.

Six years later, in 2019, with a new partner, Iwamoto successfully completed a non-stop Pacific crossing of approximately 13,000 kilometers, sailing from San Diego to Fukushima, Japan. At that point, he made another choice—to move even further forward. That choice led to the launch of this new project.

At the WEF, Iwamoto is scheduled to deliver his speech on January 21, 2026 (Davos, Switzerland time).
How did he come to choose this extraordinary challenge? We invite you to listen closely to his words.
WEF URL: https://www.weforum.org/

This ambitious project depends on a wide range of support systems that will serve as “his eyes.”
These include continuous satellite communication via Starlink, high-sensitivity cameras, voice-based navigation systems that convey critical information, a shore-based support center monitoring the voyage, and—most importantly—the collective support of people around the world who will guide and assist him.

Together, these elements aim to create a new form of sailing, gradually transforming what has long been considered an “impossible adventure” for a blind sailor into a possible one.

Hiro Iwamoto / Global Keynote Speaker, First Totally Blind Sailor to Cross the Pacific