IntelScoops

August 2, 2025 – San Salvador

In a move that has sent shockwaves across Latin America and drawn criticism from international watchdogs, El Salvador has amended its constitution to abolish presidential term limits — a change that clears the path for President Nayib Bukele to seek a third consecutive term in office.

The constitutional amendment, passed late Wednesday night by Bukele’s party-dominated legislature, removes a decades-old clause that prohibited immediate presidential re-election beyond two terms. The change follows years of controversial legal maneuvering that critics say has steadily eroded democratic safeguards under Bukele’s increasingly centralized rule.

Bukele, 44, who once described himself as the “world’s coolest dictator” in a tongue-in-cheek Twitter bio, now finds himself poised to become the most powerful Salvadoran leader in the country’s post-civil war era. Having already won re-election in 2024 with over 85% of the vote, his administration has combined sweeping crackdowns on gangs with a tight grip on state institutions — moves popular among many Salvadorans but alarming to constitutional scholars and human rights groups.

“This constitutional change is a grave step backward for democratic governance,” said Laura Hernández of the Central American Institute for Democratic Studies. “No matter how popular a president is, dismantling term limits concentrates too much power in one person’s hands.”

The latest shift builds on a 2021 ruling by El Salvador’s Constitutional Chamber — itself packed with Bukele allies after the legislature removed the previous judges — which first opened the door to consecutive re-election. The new amendment formalises that precedent, effectively codifying indefinite re-election potential for sitting presidents.

Supporters of Bukele argue the move reflects the will of the people. “President Bukele has delivered safety and prosperity. Why should voters be denied the choice to keep him in office?” said lawmaker Erick Rodríguez of the ruling Nuevas Ideas party.

Under Bukele, El Salvador has undergone dramatic changes. His controversial state of emergency against gang violence, ongoing since 2022, has led to over 80,000 arrests and a sharp drop in homicides — though at the cost of mounting allegations of wrongful detentions, due process violations, and suppression of dissent.

His economic experiments, including making Bitcoin legal tender in 2021, have garnered global headlines and fierce debate. Critics argue that transparency and oversight have declined significantly during his tenure, with independent media and civil society groups facing increasing pressure.

The United States and the European Union have yet to formally comment on the latest development, though previous moves by the Bukele administration to consolidate power have drawn condemnation from Washington.

With the next presidential election scheduled for 2029, the political landscape in El Salvador is now defined by a single, increasingly dominant figure — one who appears determined to reshape not only policy, but the very framework of the country’s democracy.