On Thursday, El Salvador’s legislative assembly approved a set of constitutional changes that remove the presidential term limit and extend the length of terms, potentially allowing President Naibe Bukele to be re-elected in the future.
The reforms were reportedly fast-tracked under an “Exemption from Processing” clause, enabling rapid passage without undergoing a Congressional Committee review. These changes were passed with a 57-3 vote from Bukele’s New Ideas (NI) Party, along with support from three allied lawmakers, while all opposition members voted against it.
Historically, all versions of the El Salvador constitution from 1841 to the current 1983 iteration have included clauses that prohibited immediate presidential re-election.
The recently approved amendments modify four articles of the current Salvadoran constitution from 1983—Articles 75, 80, 152, and 154—each relating to presidential eligibility. The previous language had prohibited re-election and imposed penalties on those advocating for it.
According to a Salvadoran newspaper, the changes got rid of provisions in Article 75 that stated individuals involved in promoting presidential re-election would lose their citizenship rights.
Article 80 was revised to eliminate previous thresholds intended to prevent election tampering, allowing political parties to simply win by majority.
Additionally, revisions to Article 152 removed the stipulation that previous presidents couldn’t run again.
Finally, Article 154 changed the presidential term from five years to six. Lawmakers also agreed on transitional measures to adjust Bukele’s current term from 2024-2029 to align with these new rules.
Salvadoran MP Ana Figueroa, who sponsored the proposal, defended the changes by saying it empowers voters to decide how long they want to support their elected officials. She expressed how satisfying it would be to establish a regulatory framework that meets the country’s needs.
Bukele, who began his term in 2019, has stirred controversy. He plans to run for re-election in early 2024, citing a legal loophole that allows this. The top court ruled in 2021 that he could seek immediate re-election if he resigned six months prior to his term’s end. Bukele “resigned” on November 30, 2023, designating his secretary as interim president.
Despite concerns regarding the dominance of Bukele’s party, the Organization of American States deemed the 2024 electoral process relatively peaceful, allowing voters to feel secure in the outcome. Bukele won around 85% of the votes in that election.
With a strong approval rating largely related to the decrease in gang violence, Bukele has enacted strict measures, including martial law, which have limited civil liberties. This has led to a significant reduction in gang activity and crime in the country.
Marcela Villatro, a member of the center-right Arena Party, was one of the few who opposed the reforms, calling the process a blatant disregard for democracy. During a parliamentary session, she held a sign stating “Democracy is dead today” and criticized the lack of consultation prior to the vote.
Bukele hasn’t publicly commented on these constitutional changes, though he previously joked about being dubbed the “coolest dictator in the world,” mentioning his indifference toward the label if it meant ensuring public safety.
“I really don’t mind being called a dictator,” he said, emphasizing that he prefers that over seeing violence on the streets.
