On July 31, the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador approved—without debate and by an overwhelming official majority—a constitutional reform that allows for unlimited presidential reelection, extends the presidential term length, and eliminates the electoral runoff.
It is a radical transformation of the Salvadoran political system, which eliminates the last legal constraints on the indefinite stay of Nayib Bukele in power, and has been described by the opposition and several international organizations as a clear step toward authoritarianism.
This change, driven and implemented by a Congress almost entirely controlled by the ruling party "Nuevas Ideas," represents the most significant alteration of democratic rules in El Salvador since the enactment of the Constitution in 1983.
Under the argument of "giving total power to the Salvadoran people", Bukele has dismantled the constitutional principles that guaranteed alternation and institutional checks and balances.
The result is a legal framework tailored to the most popular and powerful president in the recent history of the Central American country.
Following the significant change to the Constitution, the Salvadoran president has not spoken out on social media about the issue.
A reform tailored to presidential power
The plenary session on Thursday proceeded without parliamentary debate. Thanks to the waiver of procedure mechanism, the reforms to Articles 75, 80, 133, 152, and 154 of the Constitution were approved in a single day, without going through committee.
The modifications, voted on by 57 out of 60 deputies, introduce three substantial changes:
-Presidential re-election without limit, eliminating the barriers that prevented indefinite continuity in office.
-Extension of the presidential term from five to six years, applicable starting from the next term.
-Elimination of the second round of elections, allowing the presidency to be won with a simple majority.
The reform also included a transitional clause that shortens Bukele's current term by two years (2024-2029) to hold unified elections in 2027 and synchronize presidential, legislative, and municipal elections.
The dismantling of constitutional checks and balances
Before the reform, articles 152 and 154 expressly prohibited immediate presidential re-election and established that the term lasted five years.
Article 75 even sanctioned the promotion of reelection.
This outcome is the culmination of a process that began in 2021, when the Constitutional Chamber—after being reconfigured by "Nuevas Ideas" in a process deemed irregular—altered the interpretation of the Constitution to allow for a second consecutive reelection.
It was that reinterpretation that allowed Bukele to run in 2024, after being absent from office for six months, as required by the now-reformed constitutional article.
He then achieved a resounding victory with more than 82% of the votes.
A collapsed democracy?
For the opposition and international organizations, this maneuver represents an institutional break.
During the legislative session, opposition representative Marcela Villatoro held up a sign that read “On this day, democracy died”; and stated that “the law was approved without consultation, in a crude and cynical manner.”
Claudia Ortiz, also an opposition lawmaker, went further: “[The reforms only seek] to perpetuate a small group in power and continue accumulating resources… This story has been told many times in many countries around the world.”
Outside the country, the reaction was equally critical. The Director for the Americas at Human Rights Watch, Juanita Goebertus, warned: “They are following the same path as Venezuela. It starts with a leader who uses their popularity to concentrate power, and it ends in dictatorship.”
Noah Bullock, from the organization Cristosal, stated to Reuters: “The day before the holidays, without debate, without informing the public, in a single legislative vote, they changed the political system to allow the president to remain in power indefinitely.”
From popularity to absolute power
Since his rise to power in 2019, Nayib Bukele has enjoyed massive support.
His war against gangs, implemented under a state of exception since 2022, has been praised by large sectors of the population for its effectiveness in reducing homicides.
El Salvador has gone from being one of the most violent countries in the world to being one of the safest, according to official figures.
However, this security has come at a high cost to human rights.
Tens of thousands of people have been detained without conclusive evidence or proper judicial processes.
The conditions in penitentiary centers such as CECOT have been described as inhumane by various organizations.
Bukele has responded with disdain to the criticisms: “You know what? I couldn’t care less if they call me a dictator. I prefer to be called a dictator than to see how Salvadorans are being killed in the streets”, he said in January 2025.
June 2, 2025: Apology for Power at a Protocol Event
In a speech delivered on June 2, 2025, marking the first anniversary of his second term, Bukele once again reaffirmed his stance regarding the accusations of authoritarianism.
Although it was a formal accountability event, the president used it as a political platform to present his vision for the country, defend his model of government, and attack his critics.
In that speech, he insisted that “he didn't care if they called him a dictator”, and he celebrated it as a consolidation of power against what he viewed as misinformation campaigns.
"We have transformed the country. And if that makes those who were used to stealing and governing from the shadows uncomfortable, let them be uncomfortable,” he said.
For Bukele, his model is not only legitimate due to popular support but also because -according to his narrative- "it represents a new way of doing politics," where the rules can and must adapt to the results.
Filed under:
