He Learned English From Pewdiepie And Is Now Running El Salvador’s National Artificial Intelligence Agency | Mario Flamenco

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Mario Flamenco didn’t follow a typical path into government. As a teenager in one of the world’s most violent countries, he started watching Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert talk about Bitcoin on late-night reruns. A few years later, he’s working alongside them at the Bitcoin Office in El Salvador and now helping lead the country's AI and robotics strategy.
In this episode, Mario shares how El Salvador is using Bitcoin and artificial intelligence to create long-term economic change. We talk about the real work behind Lightning Network adoption, how the Kubo Plus program is teaching first graders AI and robotics, and why the government’s approach to education is rooted in digital sovereignty, not just tech hype.
This is more than a Bitcoin story. It’s about building systems that last, starting with kids in the classroom and going all the way up to national tech policy. If you care about where crypto, education, and real-world change meet, this one’s worth your time.
Hit subscribe, share with someone who still thinks Lightning Network is a theory, and drop a comment if you’d take Mario’s coding course.
-Bitcoin Beach Team
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Browse through this quick guide to learn more about the episode:
00:00 What was life like growing up in El Salvador before Bitcoin?
02:30 How did Mario Flamenco discover Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert?
04:44 What career options did young Salvadorans have before tech?
07:28 Why doesn’t access to information guarantee opportunity?
11:14 What’s broken about traditional engineering education?
15:41 How did Mario end up working with Max and Stacy?
18:49 What does the Bitcoin Office in El Salvador actually do?
26:52 How is El Salvador approaching AI policy and digital sovereignty?
31:57 Are kids in El Salvador really learning AI and robotics?
43:21 Can Salvadoran students become Bitcoin and Lightning Network leaders?
46:22 Why the airport shows El Salvador is building real infrastructure.

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