Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele can now run for election indefinitely
El Salvador approved indefinite reelection for President Bukele and extended terms to six years, sparking backlash from critics warning of rising authoritarianism.
El Salvador’s legislature has approved sweeping constitutional changes allowing indefinite presidential reelection, effectively enabling President Nayib Bukele to remain in power beyond his current term.
The package of five reforms, passed in a 57–3 vote by Bukele’s New Ideas party and allies, also extends the presidential term from five to six years and eliminates run-off voting in presidential elections, according to the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador.
New Ideas party lawmaker Ana Figueroa proposed ending Bukele’s current term two years earlier to align the presidential elections and congressional elections on the same schedule. If approved, Bukele’s current term would end on June 1, 2027, instead of June 1, 2029.
