Related videos:
Nayib Bukele formalized his pre-candidacy on Monday to compete in the presidential elections of El Salvador scheduled for February 2027, aiming for a third consecutive term that, if realized, would keep him in power until 2033 and would total 14 uninterrupted years at the helm of the Salvadoran government.
The confirmation came through Xavi Zablah Bukele, cousin of the president and head of the ruling party Nuevas Ideas, who posted on X the phrase "We are ready" alongside a photograph of the registration application stamped and signed as received by the party's National Electoral Commission, according to El País.
The vice president Félix Ulloa also registered his candidacy to join Bukele in a potential third term. "Thank you Nayib, thank you Xavi, thank you Nuevas Ideas for this new opportunity to continue contributing to the wonderful project of transforming our country," Ulloa wrote in response to Zablah's post.
Bukele himself did not comment on his social media about the registration, and it is expected that he will not face challengers in the primaries of his party.
This candidacy is possible thanks to a constitutional reform that consolidates Bukele's power approved on July 31, 2025, by the Legislative Assembly, dominated by Nuevas Ideas with 57 out of 60 deputies, in a single session and without prior debate.
The reform modified five articles of the Constitution, removed the restrictions on indefinite reelection, extended the presidential term from five to six years, eliminated the second round of elections, and, through a transitional clause, shortened Bukele's current term—which was supposed to end in 2029—to bring the elections forward to 2027.
The measure generated strong criticism from international organizations and civil groups.
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights noted that the prohibition of indefinite reelection is a safeguard of representative democracy, while organizations like Cristosal referred to the reform as the "coup de grâce" for Salvadoran democracy. Analysts have compared the process to the models of Venezuela and Nicaragua.
However, the Donald Trump administration supported the constitutional reform in August 2025, rejecting those comparisons to authoritarian regimes.
Bukele, who will turn 45 this month, came to power on June 1, 2019, and swept the presidential elections of 2024 with between 82% and 84.65% of the votes, becoming the first reelected Salvadoran president since the establishment of democracy.
Its popularity is primarily based on the state of emergency in effect since March 2022, which has led to the arrest of over 75,000 individuals—mostly suspected gang members—and has resulted in a drastic reduction in homicides.
In December 2025, Bukele had hinted at his intentions in an interview with a Spanish content creator, stating that he would like to continue governing the country "for another ten years," although he clarified that it was just a wish. If he were to win in 2027, that wish would be halfway fulfilled.
Filed under: