The US State Department has voiced uncommon help for El Salvador’s resolution to abolish presidential term limits, paving the best way for President Nayib Bukele to hunt indefinite reelection. Critics argue the controversial transfer undermines democratic stability.
El Salvador’s legislature, managed by Bukele’s Nuevas Ideas occasion, approved the constitutional modification swiftly in a vote late final week, sparking fast backlash domestically and internationally. The modification clears the best way for presidents to serve a number of consecutive phrases.
Now, the US is publicly backing the Central American nation’s management.
“El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly was democratically elected to advance the interests and policies of their constituents,” a State Department spokesperson mentioned in a press release. “Their decision to make constitutional changes is their own. It is up to them to decide how their country should be governed.”
US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have beforehand praised Bukele’s effectiveness in decreasing crime and have cited El Salvador as a mannequin for regional safety cooperation. Rubio and Bukele established a relationship lengthy earlier than he turned Trump’s high diplomat. After Rubio visited El Salvador as a senator in 2023, he celebrated Bukele’s management and crackdown on prison gangs, calling on him to make El Salvador’s democratic institutions strong to draw extra international funding.
When the Trump administration started deporting migrants from the United States to the infamous Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador – a lot of them alleged Venezuelan gang members – Rubio served as a key level individual. He traveled to El Salvador early on in his tenure as secretary of state and personally labored with Bukele and senior Salvadoran officers on the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, court docket filings present. Rubio additionally engaged straight with Bukele to barter a posh prisoner swap – 250 Venezuelans deported from the US to El Salvador in alternate for 10 US nationals held in Venezuela.
Following the legislature’s vote, Salvadoran opposition lawmaker, Marcela Villatoro, warned, “Democracy has died in El Salvador today,” emphasizing issues about consolidated energy and diminished political participation.
Bukele took workplace in 2019 for a five-year term. In 2021, El Salvador’s Supreme Court – composed of judges appointed by Bukele’s party-controlled Congress – dominated that fast reelection was permissible, regardless of being beforehand unconstitutional. At the time, the ruling drew sharp criticism from rights teams, opposition leaders and even the US embassy below the Biden administration, marking a stark distinction to the present US place. In August 2024, Bukele informed Time Magazine he wouldn’t search a 3rd term in workplace.
International reactions have been cautious, with the European Union stating it “takes note” of El Salvador’s constitutional reforms and emphasizing future cooperation will probably be guided by “democratic governance, transparency, respect for the rule of law and human rights,” in response to the Europa Press.
Juanita Goebertus, Americas director for Human Rights Watch, sharply criticized the transfer, posting: “Bukele’s party is pushing an express constitutional reform to allow indefinite presidential re-election. They are following the same path as Venezuela. It begins with a leader using his popularity to concentrate power and ends in dictatorship.”
The US State Department spokesperson pushed again on that sentiment, stating: “We reject the comparison of El Salvador’s democratically based and constitutionally sound legislative process with illegitimate dictatorial regimes elsewhere in our region.”
The US State Department’s place represents a major shift from its historic stance, the place it has usually criticized extended presidential phrases throughout Latin America, elevating issues amongst observers in regards to the long-term implications for democracy within the area.
In El Salvador, many voters vocally help Bukele’s constitutional reforms, viewing them as important for continued stability and safety. Still, some observers query whether or not the fast safety good points would possibly masks deeper dangers to El Salvador’s democracy.
Bukele defended the choice vigorously on social media, posting on X: “90% of developed countries allow the indefinite re-election of their head of government … and when a small, poor country like El Salvador tries to do the same, suddenly it’s the end of democracy.”
Damian Merlo, an adviser to Bukele, additional strengthened this place, telling NCS: “The constitutional change reflects the will of the Salvadoran people, who overwhelmingly support continuity in the country’s development and progress.” Merlo added, “Permitting reelection does not guarantee extended terms — President Bukele, and/or anyone running for President will still need to campaign, win votes, and earn the people’s trust all over again.”
Despite widespread criticism from human rights teams and democracy advocates, Bukele maintains overwhelming reputation amongst Salvadorans, largely resulting from his aggressive crackdown on avenue gangs, decreasing crime dramatically. NCS previously reported that Bukele’s powerful safety measures have resulted in traditionally low murder charges – in response to the Salvadoran authorities – serving to to spice up his approval rankings persistently above 90%.
Bukele seems unbothered by the criticism. In a June speech marking the primary 12 months of his second term, he mentioned he “didn’t care” about accusations of authoritarianism.
“I’d rather be called a dictator than see Salvadorans murdered in the streets,” Bukele mentioned to cheers. “When I check my phone, I’d rather read ‘dictator, dictator, dictator’ in the headlines than see ‘murder, murder, murder.’”
Yet, critics like Amnesty International warn of great dangers to democratic foundations, a divide echoed on social media. Martina Navratilova, a former skilled tennis participant, posted on X: “And we are next,” echoing broader issues about democratic erosion within the US.
Trump has beforehand made headlines on the subject of term limits. In 2018, Trump notably praised Chinese President Xi Jinping’s removing of term restrictions, stating: “He’s now president for life. … I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll have to give that a shot someday,” although his feedback had been largely perceived as rhetorical and drew criticism on the time.