Photo by Andre X, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
El Salvador's Legislative Assembly has approved a series of amendments to its constitution, allowing for indefinite reelection of the President and extending his term from five to six years. The Assembly, led by the political party of current President Nayib Bukele, voted to amend its constitution on Thursday, August 31.
Representative Ana Figueroa, a member of the Nueva Ideas party, introduced this proposal, which amends five articles of the Salvadoran Constitution. Nueva Ideas holds a supermajority (90%) in the current Legislative Assembly, allowing this proposal to pass with 57 votes in favor and only three against.
The proposal, in addition to establishing indefinite reelection and extending the president's term, eliminates the second round of voting that is part of the presidential election process. The proposal also adjusts the electoral calendar: instead of holding the next presidential election in 2029, Bukele's current term will end in 2027. With this adjustment, El Salvador's presidential elections will occur at the same time as its congressional elections.
This series of amendments were met with criticism from Bukele's political opponents. Marcella Villatoro, a deputy opposed to Bukele, presented to the Legislative Assembly last night:
“Democracy in El Salvador is dead. Today, some applaud this. Tomorrow they will regret it. When all orders come from a single person and everything revolves around them, democracy ceases to exist. And when democracy is lost, it can take years to recover it.”
Bukele, “The Coolest Dictator in the World”
Bukele has led El Salvador since 2019. In his account X, has described himself as the “coolest dictator in the world.” Bukele is extremely popular in El Salvador, thanks to his campaigns against organized crime, which have reduced killings, kidnappings, and robberies in the country.
However, his methods have drawn international criticism, particularly his strategy of mass incarceration. Over the course of three years, Bukele arrested 21% of El Salvador's adult population.
A highly controversial point of Bukele's security strategies has been the creation of the Confinement Center for Terrorism (CECOT), which he established in 2022. The CECOT is a mega prison that has been strongly criticized by different humanitarian groups who allege a series of human rights abuses against their prisoners. The CECOT received international attention when Bukele agreed to receive more than 200 immigrants deported from the United States in the prison.
The New Venezuela?
Juanita Goebertus, leader of the humanitarian group Human Rights Watch America, compared to the proposal Salvadoran opposition to the 2009 Venezuelan referendum, which established the same indefinite reelection measures for former President Hugo Chávez. These measures allowed for the election of Nicolás Maduro, who continues to lead Venezuela in a highly controversial presidency, described by many as a dictatorship.
Bukele's supporters also expressed their excitement about the proposal on social media:
“The Constitution is not untouchable. What should be untouchable is the WILL of the people. And today, more than ever, the people are at the center of our decisions.” – Nuevas Ideas Representative Suecy Callejas.
We'll see how this measure affects El Salvador's presidential elections, which are now scheduled for 2027.
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