El Salvador’s legislature approved removal of presidential term limits in a 57‑3 vote, clearing a path for President Nayib Bukele to seek unlimited re‑election.
“Democracy in El Salvador has died” — opposition lawmaker Marcela Villatoro
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/el-salvador-scraps-presidential-term-limits-opening-door-another-bukele-term-2025-07-31/
Human Rights Watch Americas director Juanita Goebertus wrote, “It starts with a leader who uses his popularity to concentrate power and ends in dictatorship”
https://www.ft.com/content/703c0e31-bc72-4649-b837-61e69e351a17
The reforms also extend presidential terms from five to six years and eliminate runoff elections. Legislators acted swiftly, with no public debate or amendments, shortening Bukele’s current term to synchronize elections in 2027. The move consolidates control by the New Ideas party, which holds nearly all legislative seats. Security measures since 2022 detained more than 2% of adults, suppressing dissent even as homicide rates plummeted. A rare disclosure reveals critics say court packing in 2021 set the stage for measuring power before legal change. Few coverage stories connect court overhaul, election sync, and term extension as part of a single strategy. A regional trend emerges: popular leaders using institutional tweaks to cement authority with minimal resistance.
If voter fatigue or international pressure intensifies, Salvadoran leaders may face internal cracks rather than public protest.
