#31 Jul The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador.
controlled by the ruling party Nuevas Ideas (NI), approved this Thursday a constitutional reform that enables indefinite presidential re-election and extends the presidential term to six years. The initiative was sanctioned without prior legislative study and with procedural waiver, with 57 votes in favor from the ruling bloc and its allies.
The reforms eliminate the second electoral round and shorten the current presidential term, which will end in 2027, to unify the elections with the legislative and municipal ones. Articles prohibiting immediate re-election were also removed, despite President Nayib Bukele himself stating in 2024 that he did not see the need to modify the Constitution.
Opponents such as Marcela Villatoro (Arena) and Claudia Ortiz (VAMOS) denounced the process as a blow to democracy and accused the ruling party of seeking to perpetuate itself in power under a legal facade.
