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The World’s First National AI Agency
Is in El Salvador

Mario Flamenco, Director of the National Artificial Intelligence Agency (ANIA), discusses the ambitions of the agency weaving emerging technologies into the fabric of his country.

“What we’re trying to do in this country,” Mario explains, “is to become the Singapore of Latin America; a technological hub.” Initiatives such as the 2021 Bitcoin Law and the creation of ANIA in early 2025 clearly signal El Salvador’s ambitions to the world.

As the country looks outward with legislative frameworks and partnerships, it simultaneously looks inward with ANIA: “my office and the President’s government are focused on education and financial independence. We know we need to do this so our country and our citizens are capable of reaching their full potential.”

“My office and the President’s government are focused on education and financial independence.”

“We are preparing for the next twenty years,” Mario says, “making sure that the kids of today who want to become developers, AI engineers, and Bitcoin engineers have the skills and education to fill the highly skilled positions these startup companies and industry giants will be hiring for.”

From the first grade, children in El Salvador’s public schools learn about artificial intelligence and robotics—the first public school program of its kind. An advanced course for high schoolers, CUBO AI, featuring accreditations from industry giants, is under development, and the first cohort of students already partakes in a Google AI course, with lectures delivered by some of the biggest names in the space.

These education initiatives exist alongside the “perfect sandbox for innovation” and create a solid foundation for El Salvador and its citizens to be big players in the technology revolution unfolding around the globe.

“We are preparing for the next 20 years.”

“ANIA has created the clearest legislation in the world for AI development, along with economic incentives to develop in El Salvador with Salvadoran talent,” Mario says, “we are seeing AI startup companies popping up, and industry leaders are considering moving their operations here, too.

“This will create huge opportunities, not just for developers and data scientists, but also for all the other roles these companies need to fill. It benefits the economy, obviously, but it also improves the prospects of Salvadorans as they gain access to highly skilled, professional jobs.”

Its shift toward emerging technologies has earned El Salvador growing attention on the global stage. According to Mario, this not only benefits the nation economically, but it also has an impact on its international image. “You now find, in the New York Times and in Forbes, articles mentioning El Salvador, artificial intelligence, and innovation. We are benefiting on multiple levels, mainly in education, investment, and tourism. This type of publicity also creates a new, positive image of El Salvador, helping to disperse the old one, which was that of the most dangerous country in the world.”

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