IMF approves $139 million for El Salvador

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a disbursement of $139 million for El Salvador, according to Bloomberg Línea on October 2, 2026, after granting a waiver for failing to meet a condition on the accumulation of cryptocurrencies.

According to the outlet, the Executive Board completed the second and third reviews of a $1.4 billion lending program extended to the Central American country, which allowed for the immediate release of the funds.

For its part, Infobae América reported that the U.S. diplomatic mission welcomed the fact that economic progress and budget reforms are bringing financial certainty, now that access to funds for the public treasury has been confirmed.

The multilateral body's rules require limiting state exposure to digital assets and suspending new purchases, a criterion that was not originally met. As a result, corrective measures were approved, including the transfer of the Chivo platform to a private operator and the renunciation of adding further bitcoin reserves beyond documented donations.

Salvadoran economic activity has shown favorable performance, driven by improvements in security and investor confidence, and the Fund's projections estimate gross domestic product growth of 4.5% for this year and 4% for the next.