El Salvador Ends Presidential Term Limits for President Bukele

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — El Salvador’s congress has approved sweeping constitutional reforms that end presidential term limits, allowing President Nayib Bukele to run for office indefinitely. The vote took place under an expedited legislative procedure, pushing next elections to 2027 and increasing presidential terms from five to six years.

Bukele, who has served as president since 2019, is a polarizing figure in El Salvador. His aggressive crackdown on crime has won him popular support, but human rights organizations have raised concerns over mass arbitrary arrests and state violence.

“Today, democracy has died in El Salvador,” said Marcela Villatoro, a member of parliament from the opposition Republican National Alliance (Arena), opposing the reform. Legislators aligned with Bukele dominated the Legislative Assembly, with 57 votes in favor and only three from opposition members against the changes.

The reforms come after Bukele won a controversial second term last year, despite a constitutional ban on consecutive re-elections. In 2021, El Salvador’s top court, which comprises Bukele-appointed judges, ruled that running for re-election was a fundamental human right, enabling Bukele’s extended grip on power.

To synchronize elections, Bukele’s current presidential term will be shortened by two years to align all national elections—presidential, legislative, and municipal-set for 2027. While many praise Bukele for reducing homicide rates through his anti-gang policies, human rights organizations accuse his administration of abusing power, claiming approximately 75,000 individuals have been detained under ongoing emergency measures.

Noah Bullock, executive director of rights group Cristosal, criticized the reforms, stating, “The day before vacation, without debate, without informing the public, they changed the political system to allow the president to perpetuate himself in power indefinitely.” Human rights group Amnesty International has also condemned the move as a troubling sign of rising state violence.