El Salvador removes presidential term limits and lengthens terms
El Salvador’s lawmakers approved constitutional reforms to eliminate presidential term limits and extend the presidential term from five to six years, potentially allowing President Nayib Bukele to stay in power indefinitely. The changes, passed by Bukele’s New Ideas Party in the Legislative Assembly, remove restrictions that previously barred presidents from serving consecutive terms. This vote comes about 18 months after Bukele secured a second term in a landslide victory, despite constitutional bans on immediate re-election, which the country’s Supreme Court—packed with Bukele allies—overturned, citing human rights grounds.
The move sparked strong criticism from opposition politicians and human rights groups, who warn it undermines democratic checks and risks turning El Salvador into a one-party state. Opposition lawmaker Marcela Villatoro declared, “Today, democracy has died in El Salvador.” Human Rights Watch called it a power grab intended to establish dictatorship, while Cristosal, a leading Salvadoran human rights group that recently relocated to Guatemala due to intimidation, condemned the rushed process and lack of public debate. Bukele’s supporters point to his tough crackdown on gangs, which has dramatically lowered violent crime rates. However, critics highlight abuses including mass detentions without due process, with Amnesty International accusing the government of replacing gang violence with state violence. The situation drew U.S. attention after an undocumented Salvadoran migrant deported under the Trump administration was wrongfully imprisoned in Bukele’s ‘mega prisons’ before being returned to face charges in the U.S.
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